Laying The Law Down
by lboogiev
Summary: Marianne Tobey is a law graduate from Harvard who works for Linda McMahon. When she receives a job offer to work for the CEO of the WWE, she accepts. Marianne doesn't know wrestling at all - will Adam 'Edge' Copeland have a problem with that?
1. Changes

"Why are you frowning?" Mike 'The Miz' Mizanin was staring at his friend who lately was looking pretty down in the dumps

"I'm not frowning." Adam said, frowning.

Adam Copeland was best known as Edge or the Rated R Superstar to those that followed his WWE career. Adam and Mike were sitting backstage waiting for the television crew to tape their promos. Adam would be doing one with Zack Ryder and Mike had a solo promotion tonight. They were in Washington D.C doing Raw live and there should not be one reason why Adam would be unhappy.

Except that he would be fighting the Great Khali tonight. He didn't even mind all that much, Khali was a good man... and Adam enjoyed a good bout of silliness every now and then. Adam also knew he would still be fighting at Night of Champions, despite this match's stipulation. However, he had been playing the mid carder for a while now and he wanted to main event like Randy, who might he add, was equal with him in the ring.

Randy. Another thing that was bugging him was Randy. Ever since he got engaged he was acting like he was king of the world, showing off that he got the girl.

A couple of months back Randy and Adam had both fallen for the same woman, Vince's assistant Sofie Sinclair. In the end Randy had won her heart and Adam was okay with that. Sofie was a great woman and he considered her just a friend now, but sometimes… Adam sighed and stood up.

"Speak of the devil." Adam muttered.

"Hi guys!" Sofie replaced Lorraine as the Touring Manager of Raw. She travelled with the team and made sure everything ran smoothly for the equipment crew, the roster and all the backstage people. She was a beautiful woman with bouncy brown hair and piercing green eyes and Randy Orton was a lucky man.

"Hey." He said, looking away.

Mike and Sofie hugged each other tightly and Mike said something or other to make Sofie laugh, as per usual.

"Why are you frowning?" Sofie asked Adam.

"I'm not! Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

"Adam, what's going on?"

"Nothing. Look, I'm going to go get some water, can you find Zack?"

"I will find him now."

Adam walked away from Mike and Sofie, frustrated. He was fine! He would have a fun time tonight, be a little silly and forget he's playing a mid carder.

Adam approached Chris Jericho, whom had just lost his match against John Morrison. He was proud of Chris; he did really well tonight and overall is one of the hardest working men in the wrestling industry. He really helped Morrison tonight, putting him over the way he did. It was sad, Chris' contract was almost done and he wanted to leave to tour his band and write and well, live. Vince's creative team was desperately trying to keep him but in the end it would be Chris' decision.

"Yo." Adam leaned against the wall beside Chris.

"Yo."

"How you feeling?" Adam asked.

"Like shit. I hated losing out there. Don't get me wrong, I loved putting over Johnny Nitro but when the fans started chanting '_Y2J'_ it just made me feel like I haven't been used properly in a long time in this company."

"You're preaching to the choir, buddy."

"I need things to be different for a little bit." Chris admitted.

"You going to leave?"

"I don't know."

"Do what's right for you." Adam patted his friend's back and they stood there in silent until Sofie approached Adam.

"You ready for your promo with Zack?"

"Yeah. See you later man." He nodded at Chris who saluted him.

"Bro!" Matthew Cardona better known as Zack Ryder greeted Adam happily.

"Hey Zacky. Ready to be humiliated?"

"Woo, woo, woo…" Zack said.

Adam was joking around with Zack while they waited for the television crew to set up the camera for their promo. Adam was feeling a bit nervous but he shrugged it off, it was just a promo after all. He watched as Randy entered the locker room and annoyance took over Adam as the two lovebirds kissed. It wasn't that he was jealous; he was just sick and tired of seeing the two be in love. Maybe he was a little jealous; it had been a long time since he had a healthy relationship. Zack and Adam started their promo and Adam officially forgot about the two.

"…former one contender myself…" Zack was saying. From the corner of his eyes, Edge noticed a woman with auburn hair walk in the locker room and approach Sofie. She was this petite thing with long legs and beautiful lightly freckled skin. Adam was aware that they were watching the promo and his excitement grew. Was she the new Smackdown Touring Manager? Assistant, maybe?

"… did you call me a tool?" Zack asked Adam.

"Yeah." And with that Adam walked away from the scene and nodded at Randy, Sofie and Mystery Woman.

He kept on walking, out the locker room and down the hallway until he was just outside the gorilla position. He approached John Cena and the two shook hands.

"Break a leg." Adam said. Cena was about to walk towards the ring for his match with Justin Gabriel né Paul Lloyd.

Paul was already walking down to the Nexus' theme music and Cena was coming out next. He watched their match through a monitor and contemplated leaving the business for a while. He had just come back a couple of months prior at the Royal Rumble and at first everything was great. It wasn't until the draft that things went downhill for him. Adam hated feeling this restlessness and he had no one to blame but himself, which annoyed him further.

He acknowledged the wrestlers as they prepared for their fights but continued to focus on the monitor screen. Something had to change.

* * *

Marianne Tobey was walking down a stadium corridor and she was panicking a little. Maybe a lot. She was training with Vince's old assistant, Sofie Sinclair, who was now the Raw Touring Manager and she was expected to learn everything she knew in the next month or two. Sofie was a powerhouse that the CEO of the WWE, Vince McMahon, would do anything for and it seemed like everyone within the company loved her equally as much. Marianne was definitely panicking. She was sent to find Adam Copeland who had a match with Khali very soon and she couldn't find him anywhere. There's no way Marianne was cut out for this job.

"Adam? Adam Copeland? … Edge?" She poked her head into empty backstage rooms but still no Adam.

Marianne used to work with Linda McMahon as part of the team aiding her run for U.S. Senate. She went to Harvard for law and interned with Linda's party before getting hired there full-time. Marianne has the best managerial skills and can lead a team to high hell and back, but when Linda pulled her aside and asked if she would help her husband's company Marianne had no idea what she was getting herself into. Yes, she was a conductor of business… in politics, not wrestling. She spent the last month and a half learning everything there is to know about the company but she still didn't get it. She knew facts, names, events but she didn't understand the why. Why do people like wrestling? Why do these athletes put themselves through torture? Marianne guessed it was for the art and she was more than willing to have an open mind, she just wasn't enthralled by it.

"Oh man… where are you?" She muttered under her breath. On top of having to rush into this job because Lorraine was retiring, Marianne also had to help Linda train someone to replace her.

"Oh!" Marianne quickly closed the door she had opened. Inside the room were two members of the roster, making out. She couldn't tell who they were and quite frankly didn't want to know.

She knocked softly. "Is Adam in here?"

A woman's laugh. "Ow. No. Edge isn't here."

She heard rustling of clothes and quickly walked away, embarrassed. Apparently the on-goings of wrestling were very similar to the ones of politics.

"This is going to be a long night. Reminder to self: don't wear heels… not worth it." Marianne limped down the hallway in search of the blasted wrestler called Edge and meanwhile muttered profane words under her breath. She was a Harvard graduate not a silly wrestling fan and she definitely didn't have time for appalling behavior as most of the staff had already shown her they were capable of.


	2. Parking Lot

"Everything is fine. I'm enjoying it; it's just a lot to take in." Marianne said. She was speaking with Charles, her boyfriend back in Connecticut who was also a law graduate from Harvard. Charles and Marianne met during their university years and through out their relationship, they had been rocky and unstable. When they both received jobs for the same law firm, Marianne decided she needed to do something different and interned with Linda McMahon. Charles was Ivy League through and through, with old money and polo shirts to boot. He was also incredibly competitive and spent most of his time trying to out do Marianne both in business and in their relationship.

"Great. Yeah, everything here is good too. Just got promoted at the firm, I'm Mr. Edward's assistant now. He really trusts me, you know?"

"Mmmhmm. I'm glad." Marianne was exhausted and really didn't have time to stroke Charles' ego today.

"Yesterday I was able to attend a press conference and…" Marianne zoned out as Charles spoke about his week. It's not that she didn't care; she was just not in the mood to reinforce Charles' own opinion of himself.

When Marianne met Charles she was waitressing at Grafton Street, a pub near Harvard University. Even though she had received a full scholarship she had still needed a job to pay for food and books. Every night after class Charles and his rich friends would come in and drink pints of beers and cat call the women who strolled past the bar, occasionally leaving with them. She had detested their group and thought incredibly ill of him and his friends who never had to work a day in their lives.

It wasn't until Marianne had received the highest marks in all of her classes and earned the respect of the professors that Charles noticed her. After that Charles spent most of his time trying to win Marianne and show to his buddies he had the brightest girl at Harvard.

"Mmmhmm."

"Marianne, are you even listening to me?" Charles asked annoyed.

_Oops!_ "Of course I am Charlie."

"Don't call me Charlie, you know I hate that. It's so… middle class. My name is Charles. What has gotten into you?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, it was a slip of the tongue. Listen, I've got to go. The show here is almost done and I have a lot more to do before the night is done."

"What? It's almost ten… Why are you still at work?" Charles seemed shocked, even though she had told him many times what company she was working for.

"Nature of the beast. I got to go. Bye Charles."

"Wait. When do I get to see you? My parents will be in town Friday and I would like you to attend dinner with us. We're going to Trumbull Kitchen… you know how hard it is to get a reservation there…"

"Charles, you know I'll be in Canada on Friday… touring with my job?" Marianne sighed. "I've got to go, I'll call you later."

Marianne hung up the call and straightened herself. She hid for long enough and it was time to face Sofie's wrath.

Sofie had asked her to find Edge earlier and she never did, instead she got lost in the stadium and by the time she found her way back his fight had already been done. Apparently he had been at the gorilla position the entire time.

"There you are, perfect timing. The show just ended so we're going to meet Calvin and make sure the equipment crew has everything they need to shut her down." Sofie smiled warmly at Marianne.

"No problem, let's do this."

"How are you holding up?" Sofie asked.

"I'm… okay. I've messed up a lot tonight." Marianne admitted.

"No you haven't, you've done great. So you didn't find Adam, big deal. He's sneaky." Sofie winked at her and immediately Marianne felt better.

"I shouldn't have worn these shoes. I'm not coordinated to wear heels and my feet are killing me."

"You'll get used to it. The trick is to buy shoes with short heels and wear long dress pants. Makes you look the part and still function properly."

"How do you do all this?" Marianne asked. "How do you travel all the time and still stay so happy? I mean I get the job… arranging meetings and scheduling and being aware of everything all the time, that's easy. The travelling, it's hard but I'm used to it. It's the constant drive to repeat this every single day; doing the same thing over and over… don't you get bored?"

"No way, I grew up watching wrestling. I guess if you follow the story it gets a lot more fun. And once you get to know everyone it's pretty amusing to see them out there performing in front of thousands of fans. It helps that I'm engaged to one of the wrestlers."

"I guess. I've got so much to learn. Before last month I had never watched wrestling in my life. I'm still trying to learn the wrestling lingo. So _Face_… that means you're a good guy right?"

"Yes ma'am. And a _Heel _is the bad guy. You've got your monster heels and your baby faces and occasionally, if you're very good, you can be a heel and the audience will still like you." Sofie added.

"Like the Cold Stone guy?"

"Hah. Stone Cold. Yeah, he was incredible. He could get away with anything and the crowd still loved him."

Marianne blushed and reminded herself to keep going over her notes. They had just walked in the parking lot when she noticed a bunch of wrestlers coming out the side entrance.

"Psst… hey Sofie, who's your friend?" A short beefy man yelled. She couldn't tell who he was.

"Anthony, where are your manners?" Sofie yelled back. She turned back to Marianne, "That's Tony but call him Santino for now. Don't mind him, he really is a sweetheart."

"Hey new girl… heard you were looking for me earlier." A tall blond man called out to her and the others in the group snickered. Marianne guessed that was Adam and didn't appreciate his joke.

Before Sofie could stand in Marianne shouted back. "I guess I just overlooked you. But you must be used to that."

The same men that laughed at Adam's joke were howling now, yelling 'burn' and 'diss.'

"That was good. You're quick." Sofie whispered.

"I have four older brothers." She whispered back.

Marianne met Calvin, a young good looking man who looked half Filipino and half American. He was the equipment manager and before shutting down an event they had to communicate with him, which would be easy, Marianne already liked the polite man.

It was finally time to leave and Mari was walking towards her car, purse in hand while scrambling to find her keys.

"Ugh, where are you?"

"Need some help?" a voice from behind startled her.

"Holy crap! Why would you… oh man… you scared the living daylights out of me." Mari faced the blond man from before, Adam. He was slowly becoming her worst nightmare, either not being where she wanted him to, or being where she didn't need him.

"Do you hang around dark parking lots a lot?" She said sarcastically.

"Yeah… actually, it's my favorite hobby."

"I'm done for the night. If you need something you can contact me tomorrow." Marianne didn't need to waste her time with bullies and she definitely didn't need to spend any more time alone with the handsome man in the dark parking lot.

"Wow. You are a bitch, aren't you?"

Mari's eyes widened almost cartoonish like and she was thankful it was dark for he wouldn't be able to see the hurt in them. "Guess so."

"I thought maybe you were different but I was so wrong. You don't belong here." With that Adam walked away and left her alone beside her car. When she finally found her keys and sat in the driver's seat, Marianne started to cry. She was so sick of having to prove herself to other people, but in this case, she would be happy to prove that man wrong. She was a fighter and had to earn everything she's ever had and if it was the last thing she did, it would be prove the snobbish Adam Copeland wrong.


	3. Porter Airlines

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. This is your boarding call for flight 876B to Toronto, Canada. Please proceed to gate 7 with your passport and boarding pass. Thank you. Buenos dias…"

Marianne sipped on her tea as she waited in line to board her plane. She was going to Toronto earlier than the rest of the roster to prepare for the busy weekend ahead of her. They would be doing Toronto, Hamilton and Peterborough and Marianne understood all cities were close to each other, just an hour or two distance at most. She had never been to Canada before but had always wanted to go, especially Ottawa to see Parliament Hill.

When she finally entered the small Porter airplane she stuck her carry-on on the above compartment and sat down, stretching her legs. Marianne wasn't used to spending a lot of money so when she found a cheap flight to Toronto, she took it! Porter Airlines was actually a part of a private airport on the Toronto Islands, a ferry boat away from the downtown core. Cheap and extremely classy – her favorite way to fly!

She picked up her book and tried to focus on the words on the page. Marianne was slightly nervous about flying, she always was. She deliberately tried to get an isle seat but whoever was sitting beside her had already taken it. She sat there anyways – people _always_ wanted the window seat, she was sure there would be no problem. Maybe the person sitting next to her wouldn't even show up.

Marianne finally put her book down since there was no way she could read with her nerves so active. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes – it was only a five hour flight, she could do this!

"Excuse me, miss… that's my seat." _No. No it couldn't be… _

Marianne opened her eyes to find Adam Copeland in front of her. "Seriously?"

"Pardon me? I'm sorr- Oh. It's you. Jesus. It's like the heavens are against me." He ran his fingers through his blond hair and sighed loudly. "You're in my seat."

"Are you sure you don't have the window seat?" She asked. _Please, oh please take the window seat…_

"Definitely sure."

Marianne sighed and changed seats, immediately closing the window blinds. "Out of all the flights…" she muttered under her breath.

"I'm sorry, what?" He asked, knowing full well what she was muttering about.

"Nothing."

When Adam sat down beside Marianne she was at once very aware of his presence beside her, his size and his strength. She re-opened the blinds and stared at the airport pavement, hoping to distract herself with fear of flying rather than keep watching his every movement. From the corner of her eyes she noticed he was removing his jacket. _Stop it_, she told herself._ Focus on outside_.

The seatbelt light turned on causing Marianne to stiffen and fidget with the zipper on her jacket. Already this was the worst flight…ever! When the stewardess asked her to straighten her chair for take off, Mari noticed Adam was smirking at her.

"What?" she asked hotly.

"Nothing, nothing. I'm glad you re-opened the blinds, it's nice and bright out so we'll be able to see everything really well during take off." He said smugly.

She narrowed her eyes. "It just so happens that I don't care what you want to see. I'm going to nap, so excuse me while I close the blinds again."

She quickly shut the blinds and leaned back with her eyes closed. Mari heard Adam chuckle and the urge to slap him became stronger.

"You're cute when you're angry."

"I'm not angry and stop looking at me!" she said frustrated.

He smiled and Mari huffed, turning away from him. The plane started to back out and Mari momentarily forgot about Adam Copeland.

"Breath…" she whispered to herself.

"Has anyone ever told you that you look like Isla Fisher?" Adam asked curiously.

"What?" Mari was trying not to panic as the plane slowly made its way to the runway path.

"You know, the actress from Wedding Crashers?"

"Oh her. Yes, all the time. It's the red hair and dark eyes."

"She's much prettier, of course." He said matter-of-factly.

Mari gasped. "You're rude."

"And much nicer too, I'm sure."

"What is your problem?" Mari asked, pissed off.

"No problem. I think you're the one with the issues."

"I have no issues, I am tying to be civil here and quite frankly, I'm tired of your attitude."

"My attitude? You've been a royal bitch to me since we met." He retorted.

"I have been nothing but professional, you're the one with the crude jokes and smart ass remarks."

"I beg to differ. I have been lovely and charming."

"Hah. Charming my ass." Mari replied.

"Look who is crude now!"

"Oh man, I'm so glad in a few weeks I'll be with Smackdown. I won't have to deal with you anymore."

"Sorry to disappoint you, princess, but I'm negotiating with Vince to switch shows. Won't it be wonderful working with me all the time? Or should I let Vince know you can't handle Smackdown?"

"I can handle Smackdown, without you, or with you. Good. I hope you come to Smackdown, and then you'll have to answer to me, _Edge_."

"Fine. I've dealt with fascists leaders before; this will be a piece of cake."

Mari's mouth dropped open. "I don't like you."

"Hey, would you look at that, we have something in common. I don't like you either."

"You're such a jerk."

"I may be a jerk, but this jerk distracted you long enough that you didn't notice take off."

Mari didn't answer him because she immediately knew he was right. They were already above the clouds and she hadn't even noticed the plane taking off.

Marianne shook her head and turned her body away from him. She leaned her head against the closed window and closed her eyes. She was tired and it would be a long day ahead. Besides, she less she spoke with that incorrigible man, the better!

* * *

Adam didn't understand why the pretty redhead got under his skin the way she did but he was sure if she could, she would cut him into pieces and dispose of him in a lake somewhere. The woman had a temper and a half and Adam had to admit, it was fun adding fuel to that fire. When he realized how frightened she was of flying his first instinct was to call her out on it, but she refused to show weakness. He would have switched seats with her, she had only to ask. After he realized how uneasy she was, he felt guilty for not being a proper gentleman. He tried to distract her during take-off but she had genuinely pissed him off with her coldness and cocky attitude. He regretted speaking to her the way he had but he would never admit that to the redhead.

He watched her now, sleeping quietly beside him. She did remind him of the Hollywood actress Isla Fisher, but where Fisher was pretty, Marianne was absolutely sexy. She had round curves and the hottest legs he had ever seen, it was a shame she had such a quick mouth. A quick beautiful mouth, with full lips and… _whoa, stop Adam_. When Marianne's head slowly gravitated towards his shoulder, he grinned. He let her head rest on him and put his arm around her shoulder, bringing her a little closer. It felt good to have her body nestle beside his, but it would feel even better when she woke up and realized what position she got herself into. She would be furious! He chuckled and closed his eyes, deciding to also rest for a little bit.

* * *

When the stewardess, Shelley, came around with coffee she smiled at the sleeping couple. They looked so cute napping together. Shelley went back to the sleeping couple and draped a blanket over the two. She continued to help out the passengers and hummed an appropriately romantic song that popped in her head.


	4. Toronto Island Ferry

Mari snuggled deeper into Charles' chest as she couldn't remember ever being this comfortable with him. Her hand was resting on his surprisingly big arm and sleepily Marianne mentally applauded Charles for working out. He was always complaining about the juice heads at the gym but Mari just thought Charles was intimidated by others. Marianne sighed contentedly, enjoying how Charles smelled today. He usually had strong overpowering cologne on and today he smelled fresh and… manly. It was quite intoxicating and Mari almost regretted how she spoke with him the other night. Suddenly, reality came crashing in causing Marianne to open her eyes and stiffen. She wasn't with Charles…

She looked up to see Adam with his eyes closed, snoring very softly. His arm was draped over her shoulder and his head was bent slightly to the side, almost resting on hers.

"Holy crap." She whispered guiltily.

When she attempted to discreetly move from under his arm, he twitched and tightened his hold on her.

"Shit."

She tried again, carefully lifting his hand above her head… almost there… "Ow!" A strand of Mari's hair was stuck on his shirt and her movement tugged viciously on her head. Adam awoke, startled.

"What are you doing?" He asked, confused.

"Ah, don't move. My hair is stuck."

"Why in God's name is your hair stuck on me? What were you doing?"

"Nothing! I fell asleep!" She half-yelled. Marianne was becoming more anxious the longer she stayed in his arms. _Think of Charles_… "Are you going to help or not?"

"Well, if you would stop fidgeting I can try! You're stuck on a button. Here we go…"

"Did you get it?" She asked.

"Not yet. Quit moving."

Mari ignored the childish wish to say '_no you quit moving!_' and stilled so he could unleash her hair. _What was taking him so long_? She felt his fingers lightly move in her hair and she shrugged off the pleasure. "Hurry up!"

"You're so bossy! Here, finally, you're free!"

"I'm not bossy," _you just make me uncomfortable_, "and this is not my fault. I woke up and you had your arms around me!"

"Of course." He stated simply.

"Of course, what?"

"Of course not only am I not getting thanked for helping you, but you're going to blame me for the fact that _you_ fell asleep on _me_!"

Marianne blushed. "I need to go to the bathroom."

"I'm not stopping you, lady."

She half stood and sighed loudly, sitting back down. "Well are you going to stand so I can pass?"

Adam moved his knees to the side and gestured to her there was no need for him to stand up. Mari glared at him evilly and took a stand trying to decide the best way to walk in front of him. She finally decided to give him her back and squeeze out when their airplane hit a small bit of turbulence.

"Whoa."

Marianne stumbled back which resulted to her falling neatly on his lap, causing his arms to come around her protectively. The plane shook angrily and Mari's heart began beating frantically. She didn't dare move! Instead Mari gripped his arm urgently and let his warmth comfort her. He put an arm around her, holding her in place and Mari closed her eyes allowing his arms to protect her. The pilot's voice came through the speakers and he assured the passenger's they were just hitting a small bit of turbulence and it would be done in a few moments. True to his word, the plane slowly gentled down and returned to its natural floating pace. Mari could now feel Adam's breath on her neck and she immediately flushed, feeling embarrassed.

"Are you ok?" He asked gently.

"I'm fine." She awkwardly stood off of him and walked down the aisle, heading towards the lavatories.

She opened the door to the bathroom, closing it tightly behind her. _What just happened? _When she fell on Adam she had felt first fear over the plane shaking and then she felt attraction towards the rude wrestler. She had wanted him. Guilt washed over her as she remembered her boyfriend Charles. "Oh man."

She splashed some water on her face and patted her face dry with a napkin. When Marianne went back to her seat Adam immediately stood up, allowing her to walk in her seat. She blushed again and sat down awkwardly. After a few moments Adam spoke.

"We're almost there." He said, breaking the silence.

"Thank God." She replied rather quickly and immediately regretted it. "You never did tell me why you were taking an earlier flight. Everyone else is coming in the afternoon."

"I'm originally from Toronto. I thought I could spend a few hours with my mom. See my old neighborhood and stuff."

_That's really nice of him_. "Oh." She replied. "I didn't know that."

"There's a few Canadian boys in the company, me, Jericho, Santino… everyone in Hart Dynasty… Christian, a few girls. We're all mama's kids. Canadians are very much like that… family-oriented and down to earth."

"What part of Toronto did you grow up in?" She asked.

"I lived in Little Italy – that's on College Street, downtown – and it was just me and my mom. We had this nice house on a little street off to the side. It was great."

The seatbelt warning dinged and Mari sat back, anxiously.

"Gooood morning passengers, we are preparing for landing _at _Porter Airport. Please tighten your seat belts and stay _in_ your seats. Thank you for flying _Porter_ and have a great day in Toronto!"

"Wow, the trip went by so fast." She said surprised.

"Yeah, it did."

They exchanged looks and turned away quickly when their eyes met. Mari fidgeted with her jacket and Adam ran his fingers through his hair.

When they finally landed Marianne and Adam grabbed their carry-on's and walked towards the exit. Instead of walking into a platform leading to the airport, they walked down a pair of stairs into the outside. Adam motioned for her to go ahead of him, 'ladies first' after all. When they walked inside the small island airport, they walked towards their customs and eventually to their bags.

"What now? We're on an island." She said looking around.

"Now we wait for the ferry boat. It will take us to downtown Toronto."

"Really?" She asked, impressed.

"Yeah. I love this city."

They sat outside in front of the airport and waited at the little harbor platform for the boat to arrive. Marianne sat on a bench beside Adam and the two waited in awkward silence. She watched one of the stewardesses drag her suitcase outside to wait for the ferry and smiled when she looked over and waved to the two.

When she approached she extended her hand and Marianne shook it. Adam stood and shook her hand as well, welcoming her over.

"Thanks for the great flight." He said politely.

"Oh you do recognize me! I just wanted to say you guys are a really great couple. And so cute! I'm a romantic, I'll admit, but you two really do have something special."

Marianne blanched and even Adam seemed taken aback. He looked over at Mari and they both shook their heads.

"Oh no, we're not… we're not together." Mari said first.

"We are not dating. No we definitely, without -a -doubt are not dating!" He added.

"I would never date anyone like him." She retorted.

"And I would never date any woman like her!" He yelled back.

They faced each other angrily and neither looked away, refusing to break contact first.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The young woman said awkwardly. "I didn't mean to imply anything, I'm going to let you…" She walked away and Mari blushed, embarrassed.

When the ferry arrived the two boarded it in silence and made separate ways, one going in either side of the boat.


	5. Impersonations

"Tonight's going to be pretty simple… It's a house show so no Titantron, no pyrotechnics, no taping crew… just the ring and the audience. House shows are a piece of cake. We'll do this one together and you can handle Hamilton and Peterborough." Sofie said to Marianne.

They were in the Air Canada Center in Toronto and it was just a few hours till show time. So far the women had contacted the building supervisor, instructed the equipment crew to set up and given the house lights over to the stage manager and crew for tonight's show. Everything was almost set except of course for the wrestlers who have not yet arrived.

"What do you do if someone doesn't show up?" She asked Sofie.

"They always show up."

"What if they don't… they get stuck in an airport across the country?"

"Improvise." Sofie shrugged.

"What! I can't improvise." Marianne said.

Sofie smiled, "Oh, in that case, call Vince. Or anyone in the creative team, they'll tell you what to do. Let's see…. Tonight's main event is Randy and Sheamus and of course everyone in the six-man event at Night of Champions will make an appearance during that match. Let's say Sheamus gets stuck in an airport… I would move Wade Barrett up, he's a heel and is moving up in the storyline anyways. You replace Sheamus with Wade, Wade with Gabriel and now you're set."

"It sounds easy when you say it like that."

"Well, it's really easy with house shows, nothing is taped so what happens isn't actually very important for the storyline… it's just for the fans." Sofie said.

"I don't understand tonight's list of matches. I thought Jericho and Adam were bad guys… why are they teaming up with the Hart Dynasty to fight Nexus tonight?" Mari asked.

"Well there are a few reasons. One of them being a house show… you can have a little fun. Two, they are Canadian… so the crowd will automatically cheer for them, and three, Canadian audiences are crazy, they always cheer for the bad guys. So you might as well give them what they want."

"That's hilarious!" Mari said, shaking her head. "This is all so complicated."

"Yup."

Marianne and Sofie were sitting by the ring and sipping on their caffeinated beverages when the wrestlers began to arrive. The stadium was empty of course for the two ladies and a few lighting and set-up crew members. They would be opening the doors in one hour to the general public but until then, they had the building all to themselves.

Mike Mizanin who went by the ring name 'The Miz' walked towards them and jumped on the ring, grinning at the two girls.

"Wow, this is the best audience ever." He was dressed in nicely cut jeans and a great striped blue shirt.

"Hey Mike, do your Jericho impersonation." Sofie yelled up at him.

"And why should I do that? I am the best in the world at what I do, you would be lucky to witness it; do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?" Mike said replicating Chris' characteristics perfectly.

The two women laughed and asked for more. "Ooh, 'Taker!"

"Oh this one is easy." Mike jumped out of the ring. "Gong!"

He straightened himself and walked around the ring ominously while humming the Graveyard Symphony. He walked towards the girls while miming that he was holding up his cape. He stood in front of them and threw his head back, attempting to roll his eyes in the back of his head.

"Eew, ok, enough!" Sofie said hitting his arm. They both laughed and he ran back in the ring. A few other people started to join in.

"What are we doing?" Evan asked, setting his bag down.

"Mike's doing impersonations of wrestlers." Marianne explained. The members of the Hart Dynasty had just arrived and sat beside Evan.

"Do Stephen!" Natalya asked, referring to Sheamus.

"Ey there, Fella, ye lookin' at me fer? Are ye jealous of me fine skin color, are ye? Ye canna be like me fella, better be walking on. I be the champ, here." Mike said imitating the Celtic warrior.

Mike flinched when he got hit my a flying object, which looked like a hat? Marianne looked up to see Stephen standing behind the ring with John Cena. He was grinning up at Mike.

"Ye tryin' to be like me, fella?" Stephen asked.

"_Aye__-__dee__-__di__-_dee-di-dee-di!" Mike said, dancing like a leprechaun.

"Do Cena!" Evan yelled.

"I respectfully refuse." Mike yelled back.

"No no, do me!" Cena said laughing.

"I will if you stop hitting on me!" Mike responded.

Cena shook his head and pointed at Mike.

"I used to be the Gangsta. And now I'm all PG… Although I'm not the champ. You still can't see _me_!" Mike shook his hand in front of his face.

"Nice rhyme, Mizanin." Cena said.

Randy walked in with Chris and Adam and the three joined Cena and Stephen. "What's going on? We rehearsing or something?"

"White boy is doing impersonations." Cena said motioning to Mike.

"He is, is he? Hey Mike, do me." Randy said.

"Anytime Randy… but right now I'm busy doing impersonations." When Randy flushed everyone laughed.

" You're an idiot." Randy said walking towards his fiancée.

Marianne stole a glance at Adam who was laughing at Mike. When he looked over and their eyes met, Mari looked away embarrassed. She remembered their intimate moment in the airplane when she fell on his lap and she Mari cheeks pinkened.

Mike was imitating Randy and everyone was laughing but Mari couldn't stop watching Adam from the corner of her eye. He and Chris were walking towards her and the others sitting front row.

"All right, Mike, let's make it a little bit more difficult. Can you do Christian?" David Hart asked.

"Who?" He replied grinning. "Exactly."

"Do Matt Hardy!" Chris said.

"Uh… oh man… I don't have a big mouth. I don't think I can do this one."

The men clapped and laughed at Mike's insult. "You do have a big mouth, Mike!" someone yelled.

Marianne stood up. "All right, let's make our way backstage; doors are opening in 15 minutes and the show starts an hour after that. Break a leg guys."

The RAW roster made their way to the back and laughed at one another in pure enjoyment. Marianne was feeling more comfortable with her position and was starting to see how _fun_ wrestling could be. Politics had always been thrilling but Mari was for the first time in a long time, just having a simple and rewarding good time. It felt good.

She watched as the men and women ran around backstage getting ready for the night and looked down at the running order for the show. Matthew and Anthony were up first which amused her. She loved both the Zack Ryder character and Santino's.

"You are a stupid-o!" Anthony said to Matt.

"Bro! I am a former N.O.C!"

"You guys ready to start the show?" She asked as she approached them.

"I was-a born ready." Anthony replied.

"Woo, woo…"

"Amazing. Justin Roberts is making the first announcement. Get ready for your cues." Sofie was right; this would be a piece of cake. As long as she stayed far away from Adam Copeland.


	6. 23rd Floor

The weekend in Canada had been surprisingly full of fun filled moments, including karaoke in Toronto and a picnic in Hamilton. Adam who had grown up in Toronto, not too far from Captain Charisma's Will Reso, arranged a night of karaoke and dancing at an old haunt of his and Will's. Once Adam told Chris they would have the place to themselves it was almost impossible to say no to the two Canadian-raised boys.

"Randy, we never get to go out like this, come on! We're only in Toronto for one night!" Adam pressed.

"All right, if Sofie wants to go, I'm there."

"Perfect, Sofie can dance with the girls; we'll have a boy's night."

"Ok, ok, let's see if I can convince her. You sure we have the place to ourselves?" Randy asked.

Vince McMahon expressed his views on his superstars misbehaving in public and everyone was very aware that partying was frowned upon by the CEO.

"Don't worry Randy, this will be low-key."

After the Toronto house show almost everyone showed up at a local city pub. Apart from the bartenders the place was deserted, true to Adam's word. Chris immediately approached the D.J and from then on debauchery began. The women danced while the men played pool and drank beer.

Adam noticed Marianne had arrived with Natty and the two looked incredible. Natalya was wearing a sexy little black dress and her blond and pink hair was piled above her head, with a few curls dangling down. T.J was practically drooling beside her, which amused Adam as the young kid was like a little puppy in love with his master. Marianne on the other hand he couldn't see very well, but she was probably dressed up in some paralegal/librarian outfit as per usual. He had shrugged the thought of the snobbish touring manager off and turned back to the bartender.

"Can I get another round?"

Adam approached Chris and handed him a Molson, "Here you go, buddy."

"Dude, check out Matt. He's so getting some tonight." Chris pointed towards Zack Ryder who was dancing with a woman who was a perfect ten.

This woman had curves! She was wearing skin-clad jeans with knee high boots and a golden brown low-cut top. Adam chocked on his beer when he realized the _ten_ was actually bookish and prudish Marianne.

"Jesus, I thought Matt had a girlfriend." Adam said, annoyed.

"Oh yeah, he does. I guess they are just dancing. Who knew Mari could dance so well? Excuse me." Chris abandoned Adam and headed towards the redhead.

Adam watched as his friend cut in front of Matt and whisked Marianne away. Chris Jericho, if anything, was impressed by a woman with rhythm. She laughed at something Jericho said and threw her head back when he spun her. He took a sip of his cold beer and watched as the two took control of the dance floor. Chris was a great dancer, there was no doubt and he loved having a good partner, which apparently Marianne was. Some ridiculously sexy Latin song came on and Adam wasn't surprised when the dancing couple changed rhythm to accommodate the new tune.

"Holy shit, Marianne looks fucking hot! Is she doing the salsa with Chris?" He heard someone yell over the music to someone else.

"Dude. You. Me. Pool, right now." Randy tossed a cue stick towards him and he caught it instinctively in mid air.

"Let's shoot some pool."

After a couple of hours the bar manager called for last-call and slowly the RAW roster made their way out, paying their bills and tipping the staff generously. They stood outside in the fresh and breezy Toronto night and waited for cabs to arrive.

"Who's going where?" Randy asked.

"Royal York."

"The Renaissance Hotel."

"SoHo!"

As the wrestlers shouted out their hotel destinations, Randy arranged for cabs and who would be going with whom. Sofie climbed in a cab with Randy, Evan and Matthew and they headed south.

"All right, that leaves you, me and Mari. I call shot gun!" Chris said to Adam. He was humming a Spanish song and trying to make Mari dance with him on the sidewalk when their cab arrived.

"Alright love birds, in you go." He said to the two.

"We're not love birds!" Mari proclaimed. "Dance birds."

Chris threw his head back and laughed. As promised he sat in the front seat and continued to laugh at Mari's joke. Mari and Adam sat in the back of the taxi and Adam was surprised when she rested her head on his shoulder.

"I drank more than I should have." She admitted.

Chris was chatting happily with the driver, leaving Adam and Mari to get along alone. "Looked like you had fun."

"I did. I love dancing. Charles never lets me dance; he thinks it's incredibly middle class." She said sleepily.

"You looked good dancing."

"No, you looked good dancing." She retorted.

"I didn't dance."

"Oh. I thought you were insulting me."

"I can't always come up with a good insult." He said smiling.

"You do a good job trying." She replied.

Mari's head was still resting lightly on his shoulder and he could smell the fragrance from her hair, a mixture of vanilla and something else, something spicy.

"Your insults aren't bad either. I particularly liked when you called me a crude jerk-off asshole douche bag right before my match tonight."

"You shouldn't have referred to me as a cold librarian." She huffed.

"I only called you that because you wouldn't laugh at my joke."

"Your joke wasn't funny. Besides, you called me a fascist leader the other day."

"Oh God, I take it back. You would make today's fascists leaders cry like babies." He said.

"That actually is funny." Mari said, smiling.

"There you go, that wasn't so bad!"

When they arrived at their hotel, Mari, Chris and Adam walked into the elevator. Chris was first to get off, at floor eight, while Mari and Chris were at floor twenty-three.

"Good night buddy. Tomorrow we're having a picnic in Hamilton. Be ready to leave at two!" Adam said, reminding his friend of the plan everyone had agreed to earlier in the night.

"I don't know why I keep getting stuck with you. Same airplane, same cab, same hotel, same level even!" She said, dropping her back on the elevator floor. "Oops."

Adam helped her pick up her belongings off the floor and handed her each item. "Here's your cell phone, lipstick and hotel key."

"Thanks. Stop being nice, it's freaking me out." She said.

"Let's call a truce, shall we?" Adam asked, offering his hand.

"Umm…" Mari looked back and forth from his hand to his face. "Is this a trick?"

Adam chuckled. "No."

When the elevator bell dinged and the door opened, Marianne and Adam walked out and onto floor twenty-three.

"Fine, truce, but don't think I won't be watching you closely."

She placed her small hand in his large one and he noticed she blushed prettily at the contact. Her hand felt warm and small in his and an urge to take care of her washed over Adam. He held on to her and stroked the soft skin of the back of her hand. He watched her watch his hand cover hers and when her lips parted, it was Adam's undoing. He pulled her in and his lips came crashing down on hers. Her response was immediate as she opened her mouth eagerly for him. He deepened the kiss and his hands sunk into her rich auburn hair, tightening his hold on her. She kissed him back feverishly and he had to control himself not to undress her in the hotel hallway. He backed her up against the wall and kissed her almost angrily for everything that had transpired between them the last couple of days. She tasted so _sweet_. She was nibbling on his lips when his hands traveled down to her waist. He placed his hand on her bare flesh and groaned when his hands met soft womanly skin.

Adam's tongue delved inside her mouth and Marianne matched his enthusiasm, her tongue meeting his equally. Her hand was wrapped around his neck when a door creaked open somewhere down the hall.

Marianne pushed Adam's chest back with new-found strength and he stumbled back, startled.

"What are you doing? I have a boyfriend!" She yelled, wiping her mouth. Her lips were red from his kisses and her hair was mussed up, making her look lovely.

"No you don't. Don't put the blame on me. You kissed me back, Marianne Tobey." Her eyes were filled with anger and Adam didn't care for it.

"I did not!" She denied.

"Oh yes you did. As a matter of fact, I have a feeling if I kissed you right now, you would kiss me back." He closed the distance between them and brought his face an inch away from hers. He could feel her breath on his face and an animal urge to make her his washed over him.

"I have a feeling," she whispered into his mouth, "that you can take your truce… and shove it up your ass."

Adam watched her run down the hall way and fumble at her door with the key. She was muttering what he assumed to be profane words about him under her breath when she finally opened the door. She said something that sounded a lot like 'asshole,' and slammed the door.

He took a cold shower before laying down on his bed and thought about their shared kiss. It had been unlike any kiss he's ever had. The amount of emotion behind it took him by surprise and he smiled when he thought of her smart-ass reply. Tomorrow's picnic and house show would definitely be interesting.


	7. Nana's Cooking

Marianne was lying on her queen-sized bed, or the hotel's bed, to be precise, and was staring dumbly at the ceiling. She was trying to come to terms with what transpired over the weekend. Adam Copeland kissed her, and she, without a doubt, kissed him back. Oh yes, Marianne kissed him back.

She turned over, burying her face in the pleated pillow and groaned loudly. How embarrassing! Marianne let the guilt settle comfortably in her stomach, she knew she would let this eat at her. She contemplated the best way to tell Charles of what she had done. As easy as it would be to keep that moment hidden in a small compartment, locked up and forgotten deep inside her, Mari also knew she wouldn't be able to live righteously knowing she cheated. Sighing, she sat up on the bed.

"Stupid!" she reminded herself for the twentieth time.

Admittedly, Marianne was conscious of the idea that she did not really want to be with Charles. She never loved him, and truthfully, he had always found a way to make her feel ill with herself. Adam, although personally unimportant to the epiphany, had just helped her realize she wasn't meant to be with Charles. That was it and he meant absolutely nothing more so there would not be anymore kissing between the two. She reached for her phone and stopped. It wouldn't be appropriate to call Charles late at night to tell him she cheated on him with another man and just to break up with him.

She would be strong and tell him in person as soon as tomorrow was done. It was late Sunday night and she had just arrived at her hotel room in Peterborough, Canada. They had officially done their southern Ontario tour and would be doing RAW live tomorrow in Washington D.C. One week until Night of Champions.

Grimacing, Marianne remembered the morning after their shared kiss. She had been extremely uncomfortable during their friendly outing. While the men (and a few women) tossed a football in a secluded field in the Ontario countryside, most of the others sat happily on a blanket and chatted, catching up on news and gossip. Mari, not unlike some of the women, sat off and lazily enjoyed the fresh air. She sat beneath a large shadowy willow tree and read a book while the men goofed around, not too far from her.

She faired quite well while reading, it had kept her thoroughly distracted from the tall blonde man that occasionally popped in her head, until of course she heard a loud commotion.

"Oh my." When Marianne looked towards the men she was startled that they were all looking at her and shouting. She jumped when something landed with a thud beside her.

Before she could even stand to throw back the football to the men, Adam approached her, breathing heavily as he jogged over.

"Here, I'll take it." He picked up the football and looked wearily at her. "We tried to warn you."

"Yes, I was distracted." She noticed his skin was moist with sweat. Charles never sweated, he always looked perfect with his Ivy League sweaters and well-cut suit pants.

"What?" He asked as he stared down at her.

"Nothing."

"Want to talk about the kiss now?"

"Shouldn't you go back, your team mates are waiting on you." She said quickly.

"Alright, princess. We'll talk later."

They never had.

They had finished their game and everyone came around to the blanket where they ate extensively. They had bought tons of fruit, bread, cold cuts and cheese. Not to mention a killer amount of barbequed chicken wings from a local deli store. After the food the group got tired, many went back to their hotel rooms for naps, some of the women went for pedicures and manicures. Marianne tracked down the Peterborough Memorial Centre and supervised the men set up the ring and equipment. Calvin was extremely helpful and answered all of her questions, even ones that he necessarily wouldn't know but did. Calvin knew everything about the company; he took great pride in it.

The night went by fast as Sofie had predicted and Mari was surprised how much fun she had leading the team. She wondered if it would be the same with Smackdown and inadvertently a completely different group of people.

Tired of lying down in her bed, Marianne walked towards her window and propped it open, allowing a cool breeze to sweep in. Tomorrow when she arrived in Washington she would call Charles and plan for them to meet. She had to fly back to Greenwich to see Linda McMahon for one afternoon and go over campaign ideas with her replacement, she might as well meet Charles and make things right.

* * *

"How are you flying to Washington?" Matthew Cardona asked.

Adam stared at his friend, Zack Ryder, and shrugged. "Not Porter, Matty. Not Porter."

"Okay, dude, there's like, one airport in Ontario besides that weird island airport. I meant, which airline?"

"I don't know, but I'm heading towards Pearson Airport now. Want to split a cab?" He asked.

"Sure, Chris and Mari should be down any moment. We're all flying WestJet at eleven am. Maybe you can get a seat on our plane!"

Adam groaned. The last thing he wanted was to be stuck with Marianne again in a small and tight confinement. He stiffened at the thought; maybe that would actually be a good thing, considering he wanted to get in her pants. Get it over an done with.

"No, bad Adam!" He muttered. She had a boyfriend. And sweet honeyed lips.

"What, dude?" Matt asked.

"Uh, that's fine, we can call a minivan cab or something."

He ran his fingers through his hair and waited patiently for his friend and Marianne. He scrunched up his face. Marianne had to be the most loud-mouthed, outspoken, quick-tempered broad he had ever met, and yet he couldn't stop thinking about her hot lively lips. _Damn_, she tasted good too.

When she and Chris came around the corner, Adam had to remind himself he didn't own Marianne after a lousy kiss. Jealousy hit him as he watched Chris whisper something in her ear and her, throwing her head back and laughing. _Where's your precious Charles now?_ Adam walked towards the taxicab that had just arrived and propped the trunk open and helped the driver put their suitcases in the back.

He opened the backseat and motioned for Mari to enter, murmuring "Ladies first."

Adam was too late when he noticed Matt took the front seat and so he sat in the back with Mari and Chris. With Marianne sitting awkwardly between the two men, Adam took comfort in knowing he at least wasn't the only one uncomfortable.

"Oh man, its going to be awesome getting back home. My nana lives in Washington. I've got three words for you: Home. Cooked. Meal." Matt said from the front.

Both Adam and Chris groaned. "Douche bag."

"Ass prick."

"Marianne, you can come and have dinner with me and Nana." Matt said grinning.

"I like a home cooked meal as much as the next person. I'm in."

"Hmm. Maybe I can host a dinner for all of you Wankers. Let me call Nana."

Both Adam and Chris laughed and Mari couldn't help but giggle at the Jersey boy. "… I don't know, twenty? Yes. I knew it, Nana, you're a good Italian woman. The best! I love you too. Bye.

"Uh… guys, tonight after Raw in Washington… dinner at Nana's."

"Yes!" Chris said with a broad grin.

Adam high-fived him when he looked turned towards them. "Dude, your Nana rocks."

"I'm texting everyone right now. _Hosting dinner tonight. After Raw - home cooked meal. Nana's cooking, WWWYKI_. Done."

Marianne laughed. "Love it."


	8. Unannounced

Marianne's phone kept vibrating. She was in Washington D.C and they were half-way through Monday Night Raw. Tonight was the 900th episode of Raw and she was running around trying to get everyone in their places. Not to mention they added a guest host last minute and she now felt like a babysitter to the Cincinnati Bengals's own, Chad Ochocinco.

"Oh boy." _So many things to do!_ "Why don't you sit here, Chad? I'm going to see what Calvin needs – he keeps beeping me- and I'll be right back."

As she walked past a monitor she noticed fondly that Chris Jericho was sitting mid-ring about to cut a promo with Michael Cole (who Marianne secretly loved) and that one, Chris' pants were too tight for his wrestling knee pads and two, he was a great person for doing what he was doing.

Chris was going to leave for a couple of months, although the 'when' wasn't fully decided yet, and was basically going to help Vince out until he left. This included 'putting some guys over', main-eventing for ratings, cutting silly promos, anything that would keep Vince happy. She didn't fully understand why he was agreeing to lose to everyone, especially because he had been around forever. He said it was to put others over, whatever that means. Jericho tried explaining it to her, and she was starting to understand, slowly as it was.

"If you are a mid carder and you fight someone with more dominance, like a champ, and you lose – you're a jobber. You job out to the champion to make them look strong. For example, Evan Bourne is going to job out to Adam tonight. If the champ loses to a mid-carder, than he is putting him over. Making him look strong instead. That doesn't happen often – actually John Cena put all of the Nexus' members over a while back. He let them beat him, each performing their finishing move. That was really impressive."

"Eight on one is hardly impressive." She cut in.

"Right, but Cena is the biggest name in the company – when it's him allowing you this opportunity, it's a push for the opponent. The same way Mike is going to help put over Bryan Danielson."

"I see. I kind of understand. And you're ok with losing?" She asked.

"Yeah – I mean, I'm not winning the belt, at least not until I return, I might as well use my experience to help out my friends."

"That's very nice, Chris."

She flipped her phone open and dialed Calvin's number. Humming, she waited for him to pick-up.

"Mari?"

"Calvin! What's going on, you need me?" she asked. Marianne adored the equipment manager.

"There is someone here that is saying he knows you. Security is holding him but we thought we'd check up with you. He says his name is Charles Stockman. Found him by the back, near the trucks."

Marianne blanched.

"Charles is here?"

"Yeah, Preppy white boy – Alex Riley without the muscles."

"Ah, yes, that would be Charles. I'll be right there."

"I'll get security to back off."

Uneasiness settled in her stomach as she made her way to the back. Why was Charles here? She was going to call him tonight to plan a time to meet and now she was going to face him whether she liked it or not. Guilt washed over her as she walked past Adam Copeland.

"Yo." He said.

"I got to go – busy."

"Are you really busy or are you just avoiding me? We should talk about that kiss."

Marianne laughed nervously. "I'm actually busy."

She continued walking past him and hoped to God he didn't follow her outside where her boyfriend, Charles, was. When she walked down the platform to where the trailer trucks were it didn't take very long for her to spot Charles. He side-stepped the security and walked towards her.

"Finally – there you are. I've been waiting out here with these brutes for almost an hour." He said annoyed.

"Hi Charles. What are you doing here?" She asked.

"What in heavens do you mean? I'm here to surprise my girlfriend," he said at the security, "and I don't appreciate being kept on."

"Charles you must understand this isn't an office job. You can't just pop in unannounced. Those men are doing their jobs – and that's to protect the livelihood of the wrestlers."

"You mean those circus clowns. Look at all these trucks; they even travel like the circus." He said crudely.

Marianne smiled apologetically to the security and grabbed Charles' arm, dragging him inside, before he could offend anyone else.

"Hi Calvin, may I have a visitor pass?" She asked her friend.

"Sure Mar, just uh, let me know if you need any help."

She thanked Calvin and made her way backstage with Charles. Oh boy, this was definitely going to be a gong-show. After introducing Charles to Sofie and a few members of the roster she nervously led him to a waiting area.

"I have to finish work, can you hang around for a bit?" she asked.

"Of course. Also, I made dinner arrangements for us tonight. I detest late dinners, but this is a special occasion after all."

"Oh?" she swallowed.

"We haven't dined in a while; I thought I could arrange a romantic night for us."

"Oh, I uh… already have dinner plans… I guess I'll cancel them." She would have to tell Matthew that she wasn't going to Nana's after all. There was no way on earth she would be inviting Charles to attend dinner with the roster.

Chris and Adam poked their heads in the room and Marianne visibly paled.

"Hey Mari, last match is starting soon, ready for gorilla position?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, sure. Uh. Chris, Adam… this is Charles – my boyfriend."

The three men politely exchanged "pleasure to meet yous" and she found herself handing Charles some magazines to occupy his time as she walked away with the two other men.

Luckily they were almost on the last match. Mari headed towards the gorilla position and waited for the 'attack' cue. Nexus, Chris, Stephen and Adam would be interfering with John and Randy's table match tonight.

Sofie spoke to her over the headset and she instructed Nexus to make their way to the ring. "Stu – go."

Silence.

"Stephen."

Silence.

"Chris and Adam, proceed to ring." She let out a breath.

She was startled to see Chris had run out and Adam was still standing there, watching her. He took a step towards her. "That punk is your boyfriend?"

"Adam! Go!"

He frowned and chased after his friend. Marianne watched through the monitor as  
he caught up to Chris and jumped in the ring. She removed the head piece and straightened her hair. Sighing, Marianne turned away from the monitor screen and tracked down Sofie. Sofie, a romantic at heart, let her go a little early since Charles was there to surprise her. Before returning to him, she grabbed her cardigan and purse and quickly made her way back.

Charles was sitting on a comfortable chair, flipping through a WWE Magazine when she walked in the room. Looking up he settled the magazine down and stood up, walking towards her. "Ready to go?"

He kissed her on the cheek. Marianne grimaced as they made their way out of the Washington arena and into his sporty rental car.


	9. Rat Bastard

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"Got us a reservation at this fancy little joint. You'll like it."

"OK. Listen, Charles… we have to talk."

His fingers were drumming on the steering wheel mindlessly while Marianne tried to think of a way to break up with him. He stopped at a red light and turned his head towards her.

"Shoot." He said.

"Well, you see… ever since I started working for Vince McMahon, well, I've changed a lot." She started.

"No doubt. Throwing your education away. I already told you to quit."

"No it's not that. I am actually happy."

"Happy with this job? Well that's absurd." Charles said. "You need to go back to law where you belong. This job is beneath you."

"It's much more complicated than you think and a million times more rewarding than anything I've ever done!" She said defensively.

"Calm down, babe. I'm just saying, we're going to eventually get married, you can't be travelling around. You need to be at home, with me. I was thinking we could buy a house together."

"What? A house together? We've only been together for…"

"Four and a half years!" He finished for her.

"That long?"

"I've invested a lot of time in us and time is precious."

They had arrived at the restaurant and Charles hopped out the car, running to the other side to open Marianne's door. The hostess showed them to their table and Charles opened a seat for Mari.

"You look very lovely tonight. Your skin looks pale however, you should apply some cream." He said matter-of-factly.

"Hmm, yes. I suppose I just don't have time."

"Which is why you're going to quit your job and move back to Greenwich with me. Get your job back with Linda, although you should probably go with her opponent."

"Charles, I'm not quitting."

"Marianne, darling, you've had your fun. Now it's time to return to reality."

They ordered their food and Charles quickly changed the topic. Conveniently their drinks arrived at their table which allowed Marianne's anger to simmer down as they sipped on their beverages in silence. Charles infuriated her and she was quite done with being put down by him.

"Charles I'm afraid I can't do this anymore. I am not quitting Vince's company and I am not going to buy a house with you."

"Well of course not, darling, first we must get married. Oh, here." Charles pulled out a small box from his suit pants and offered it to her. "Family heirloom and all that, but it will do as our engagement ring."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Mother was right, you would prefer diamonds. Well give it back and get you something newer tomorrow."

"I'm not…"

"For God's sake, darling, lighten up. We're engaged."

"No, I am sorry. I can't do this." She stood up and placed her napkin on the table.

"Marianne, sit down, you're embarrassing me."

"No, you're embarrassing me!" she said, childishly.

"Darling…"

"I can't be with you anymore, Charles." With that Marianne picked up her bag and dropped a fifty-dollar bill for her entrée, which hadn't arrived yet.

She walked out, nodding politely at the people staring at her and pushing the front doors open, she allowed the cool breeze to surround her.

She was hailing a cab when Charles ran after her.

"Whoa, what are you doing? Can you actually be this stupid? I'm Charles Stockman."

"How mature, Charles."

"Are you seriously breaking up with me? After I _proposed_ to you?" He asked, shocked.

"That was a proposal?"

"You ungrateful little… is there someone else?" He grabbed on to her arm, which made her wince at the contact.

"Let go, you're hurting my arm."

"Damn it, tell me. Are you seeing one of those clowns?" His grip tightened on her arm and Mari felt scared.

"I kissed someone, yes."

The next moment happened so quickly, Marianne was still trying to grasp it. The first thing she realized is that her mouth was bleeding. Not too much, but enough for her taste buds to pick up. The second thing she realized was that the mouth bleeding wasn't the first thing that had happened. Charles had suddenly and venomously backhanded her, causing her lip to split on the side from where his ring connected. The third thing she realized was that she was no longer standing in front of Charles. She was in a car and someone was yelling quite colorfully at her ex-boyfriend.

"Dat rat bastard, he no come near da gyal again. Me fadda taught me better, me-a never see no gyal be a hit-up before! Me punched da rude bwoi out. Ei, gyal, how you be feelin'?"

She nodded her head in a silent reply, assuring she was fine. Marianne was sitting in the taxicab she had hailed and from what she could see the driver had come to her rescue and that Charles was sprawled out on the floor.

"Should me be driving you ta hospital, ey?" He asked, looking concerned.

"No. Please, just drive."

She watched Charles become smaller in the rearview mirror as the cab drove further away from the restaurant. Charles had hit her, the bastard! She could feel a bump rising from where his hand had connected. She wiped her lips carefully on her sleeve and noticed she was still bleeding.

Marianne winced from the contact.

"I can't believe that bastard hit me!"

"Rat bastard mon!" The driver piped in.

"Asshole!" She yelled!

"Battirass!"

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Matthew's number. She needed to forget tonight and the incident with Charles and meeting Matt's Nana would be just the cure. Besides – she was starving for a home cooked meal.

"Marianne, dude, where are you? Dinner is about to start!" He picked up right away.

"Where do you live?"

She passed on the information to the driver and within twenty minutes, she was standing outside Nana Ryder's house. She looked at her lip through her compact mirror. _Damn._ Her lip was swollen and a small bruise was forming by it on her cheek. Hopefully no one would notice. She tipped the driver nicely and thanked him for coming to her rescue.

"I can't imagine what I would have done without you sir."

"Nah bra, you be a strong gyal, you woulda kick him up proppa!"

She waved goodbye to the driver and made her way to the front door.

She rang the door bell. "You made it!"

Matthew welcomed her inside his grandmother's home and showed her to the dining room where everyone was. Wow! Everyone had come! Even John Cena who barely ever came out with the rest of the roster.

She smiled softly. "What's on Nana's menu?"

She sat on the empty seat near the end of the large table and found herself beside Sofie and Randy.

"What happened to you?" Sofie whispered.

"What do you mean?" She asked, hoping they hadn't noticed anything.

"Your lip is cut and your cheek is swollen. Do the hell am I murdering?" Randy asked, angry.

"No one, please, don't make a big deal out of it. I'm so clumsy – it's nothing really."

"Look Mar, we all know you didn't do that to yourself. Let's just hope no one else notices or else we wont rest until someone is very, very hurt."

Marianne swallowed.

"No one else is going to notice. I'll re-apply my make up. Excuse me."

She headed towards the bathroom when an arm snatched out and grabbed her. She restrained from screaming but smacked her assailant with her bag.

"Ow! Stop. What are you doing?" Adam Copeland asked her.

"Sorry, you scared me." She said, keeping her head low.

"Aren't you skittish? Whoa, what's wrong?" He lifted her face with a finger below her chin and Mari paled when his expression turned deadly.

"It's nothing." She said, grabbing on to his shoulder.

"Where the fuck is he?"


	10. Surprises

Adam had been alarmed to notice that when the doorbell rang and Marianne had walked through the door of Matt's home his reaction had not been an unpleasant one. A small thrill went through his body and he pressed to ignore it. He watched her come in and approach both Sofie and Randy, striding through the dining room elegantly.

Adam decided to get some fresh air and walked towards the front door. He paused to get his hooded sweater when he saw Marianne walk towards him. She strode with purpose, her head bended slightly downwards. He reached out and grabbed her arm when she walked directly past him, not seeing his presence there. At the touch, Adam was hit with a flying purse and he immediately let go of her.

"Ow! Stop. What are you doing?"

"Sorry, you scared me." She said nonchalantly.

"Aren't you skittish?" He said sarcastically. Something in her demeanor made Adam pause. "Whoa, what's wrong?"

He lifted her chin, needing to see her vibrant eyes when he noticed her cheek was swollen. At a second glance he noticed not only a bruise forming, but a small cut on her lip. Rage build inside of him as he realized the cause. _Charles! _He made a step towards her when she put her hand firmly on his shoulder.

"It's nothing." She said.

He had heard that before. Growing up fatherless, Adam had unfortunately also seen that look before on his mother's face from her experience with dating.

"Where the fuck is he?" He growled.

Adam wanted to kick some ass for a couple of days now and this was the perfect opportunity. He could just imagine Mari telling Charles about the exchange between himself and her and the young man losing his temper. Nothing excused violence on women.

"Stop it." Marianne said brushing his hand away.

"Did you tell him we kissed, is that why he hit you?" Adam questioned her.

"You're not going to believe this… I'm so clumsy. I actually got elbowed in the face, walked right into someone. Silly of me."

Silence.

"You're right, I don't believe you."

"Why do you care, anyways?"

"I don't know. But I do." He said honestly. Adam was surprised with himself. Since when did he care about the out-spoken redhead?

"I have to go to the bathroom," Marianne said looking away. "I'll see you in the dining room, okay?"

Adam's gaze flickered to the small bruise forming on her cheek and his jaw ticked as he clenched his teeth angrily. "We're not done with this."

"Fine."

He ran his fingers through his hair and marched towards the entrance closet. He grabbed his hoodie and stepped outside the Washington home, the chilled breeze surrounding him.

He sighed.

He should want nothing to do with the new Smackdown touring manager, and yet he could not stop thinking about how to make her feel better. He wanted to destroy whoever hurt her and carry her off into the sunset, where he could make love to her and show her how a woman should be treated. A frustrated laugh escaped Adam. He made his way inside and walked towards the dining room. One way or another, he would get the truth from Marianne.

* * *

The table fell into a comfortable silence as the group filled their plates with Nana's tasty preparations and wolfed everything down with a hearty appetite. Wine was passed around and everyone seemed to be having a delicious time. Groans of pleasure were heard around the table as they tried Nana's food.

"Mm! This is amazing Mrs. Cardona…" Cena said, complimenting the older woman.

"Call me Nana. Matthew you didn't tell me your co-workers were so nice, I would have cooked a better meal."

Matt looked up from the task of stuffing his entire mouth with spaghetti and shrugged. "They're alright."

"This is probably the best meal any of us has had in years, Nana." Chris Jericho said.

"Aye, 'tis great, ma'am." Stephen added.

"Oh you, making an old lady blush." She waved the comments away and stood up, refilling everyone's plates.

"Eat more, you're too skinny." She said to Maryse and Natalya.

Marianne caught Adam's gaze and heat reached her cheeks as she remembered their conversation. Mari would be leaving Raw, soon after Night of Champions. She would start Smackdown the Tuesday after the pay-per-view and wouldn't see any of the people in the room (including Adam) until they officially changed channels. On the premiere of Smackdown on Syfy the Raw roster would make an appearance. After that, she would see the people she made friends with much less frequently.

"So Mari, what happened to your face again?" Adam asked her.

She choked on the wine she had been sipping. Silence fell over the table and she glanced at Sofie and Randy who were looking at her uncertainly.

"Hmm?" She asked, holding in her anger towards Adam. Why would he do this? Why now?

"You got a little bruise on your face there."

"Oh this, it's nothing. Walked into an elbow." She said politely.

"Oh dear, you should be more careful." Nana said.

"Oh because it looks like someone laid one on you." Silverware clattered and the room because eerily silent.

"Oh. That's funny." She said, unamused.

She noticed people were avoiding her gaze and she realized they must all suspect the truth. She blushed profusely and glared at Adam to stop.

"I thought your boyfriend was in town. Didn't we see him at the show?"

Silence.

Adam's fists were clenched, sitting on the table.

"Charles had to return home, he just wanted to surprise me." She said, lying.

"Oh I think he did surprise you."

Marianne couldn't stand it anymore. She stood up and threw her napkin down. "You're a dick. Please forgive my language." She added for Nana who nodded politely.

Marianne picked up her bag and walked out of the dining room. She vaguely heard Cena asking Adam to sit down. No one followed her outside and within a few minutes she was walking down a busier, less residential street. She hailed a cab and made her way to her hotel.

She felt like throwing something at a wall, the way powerful women did when they were angry. How dare Adam humiliate her like that? He didn't have to point out to everyone that Charles had hit her. That was so low! She paced her room, walking from one side to the other, occasionally finding herself staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Charles _had_ surprised her; she never thought he would hit her. Perhaps it was silly of her, but she had already forgiven Charles. She hadn't really expected anything better; as a matter of fact she had been expecting vocal abuse from him once he knew about the kiss. Adam on the other hand, she would _never_ forgive.

He had no right to interfere with her life and she couldn't wait to be free of him. Smackdown meant one good thing: no more Adam Copeland.


	11. Punching Bag

Mari was sitting in a board room with Vince McMahon, his team of lawyers and a very upset Linda McMahon. She was holding the hand of a sniffling Linda and whispering soothing words to the lovely older woman. Although Linda was known to be as tough as her husband, it would seem the road of politics was slowly wearing her down.

"I never knew it would get this bad. I'm t-trying to m-make a difference and all they care a-about is what I've done with the WWE." She said between her tears.

"That's how the media is. They will tear you apart in any way possible and it just so happens you are connected to a company with a lot of history." Mari said.

"B-but now t-they're attacking our company. I l-love the WWE, they are going to run it to the g-ground." Linda said.

"Linda, dear, the company can take care of itself. We're here to make sure nothing we do jeopardizes your chance to become an U.S Senate." Vince said.

She let out a small sob. "I s-should j-just quit n-now and let B-Blumenthal win."

"No!" Mari said. "You've worked too hard, and you deserve this. Nothing they can do will change anything. The WWE will continue to thrive and you will get what you want!"

"We're not surprised the government is now looking into our affairs. We expected this, Mrs. McMahon." Larry said. Larry Fraser was Vince's top lawyer. "We have done nothing to break any law and if we have to change policies, we will. We won't be a punching bag, I assure you."

Linda had called Mari earlier in the week when news that an investigation would be done on the WWE's talent procedures and asked her to attend the meeting with Vince and his lawyers. Mari agreed to meet with them and give any advice she could towards the matter.

"For now we're to keep everything the same. We'll continue touring as per usual and we'll keep the investigation on the company confidential." Fraser said.

"Oh that will leak to the mass media within a few days if it hasn't already." Vince said darkly.

"They have started to approach former members of your roster already. The New York Times has sent their journalists to almost everyone that is no longer working for you."

"They're trying to besmirch everything we've worked so hard to build." Linda said quietly. She had regained her composure and now had a placid look of disappointment in her eyes.

"Well, not everyone is going to speak ill of you, Linda. I was doing some research and came across a blog online. Mister… um," Mari opened her laptop and quickly typed in something into the keyboard. "Foley?"

Vince straightened. "Mick spoke to the New York Times?"

"Actually, he did. They approached him looking for information on Linda and according to his blog; they didn't even quote him in the article. He speaks very highly of you Linda." Mari said, smiling at Mrs. McMahon.

"Let me see that." Vince placed Mari's laptop in front of him and the room was silent for the next twenty minutes as he read the long well-written blog on the McMahons. When he was finished, Vince remained quiet.

"What did he say?" Linda asked curiously.

Vince cleared his throat. "Take a look."

The article was incredibly well structured and Mari was quite impressed with Mr. Foley. She didn't recognize his name at first, but after a quick search on Google, she learned he was the infamous 'Mankind'. Mari was still coming to terms with how much history this company had and was fascinated, to say the least.

Fraser spoke to Vince and Linda at length about the investigation on the company and Mari was glad Linda had asked her to go. Their legal team was superb and also impressive with their knowledge. She could learn a lot from them.

When they finally ended the meeting Marianne made her way to her hotel room by the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Night of Champions was in three short days and she was already in the famous second city for it.

Aside from meeting with Linda, Mari was getting ready for her switch to touring with Smackdown. After the pay-per-view she would no longer travel with Raw and a part of her was saddened by it. There were of course, exceptions, namely Adam Copeland. Ever since his horrid behavior in Washington she refused to speak with him. It had been almost three weeks since she had communicated with him, and smartly, he also had kept his distance.

Marianne greeted the concierge as she strolled in the hotel lobby, walking towards the elegant elevators. As the elevator climbed through the floors, Mari took the opportunity to look at her now very pale bruise. She wore the bruise proudly for it reminded her how a man would never again treat her. Perhaps it was the fact that she was constantly around incredibly healthy individuals, but recently she had taken a completely different stance on her body. Renewing her passion for jogging, Mari tried to at least once a day do an hour of good old outside, around the block, rain or shine jogging.

Another thing that was laying heavily on her mind was Adam. What he did at the dinner had been unforgivable; however, Marianne should never have taken out her anger on Charles on Adam. In a skewed way, he had been trying to help.

Marianne sighed. Tomorrow she was going to watch the men rehearse at the United Center. She would have to resolve things with the blond superstar. After all, after Night of Champions, Marianne would no longer have to see him.

* * *

By the time she strolled in the massive Chicago arena most of the fighting roster was sitting ringside warming up for practice. She was very much aware that most of the matches were completely improvised, but she liked watching the men come up with ideas pre-show.

"Hello lass, how are ye?" Stephen asked as he approached her.

"I'm very good, and you Stephen?"

"Oi, am dandy." He replied with a cheeky grin.

Marianne was starting to become very fond of Stephen. Actually, ever since the dinner at Matt's, all the men were being very sweet to her. Almost too sweet. The women were also going out of their way to make her feel welcome. Natty, whom she talked to almost everyday, had become a very close friend and the other women would always make a point to compliment her or stop and talk to her.

Marianne had a sinking suspicion that they all pitied the fact she was hit by her ex-boyfriend. She was trying to not let it bother her and it felt like she had to prove she wasn't made out of porcelain.

"Hey Stephen?" She murmured.

"Aye?"

"Um, will you teach me how to fight?"

"What did ye say, me dear?" He said confused.

"Can you teach me a few self-defense moves?" She asked shyly.

"Oh. It would be me pleasure. Come here in the ring, lassie." He jumped up in the ring with poise and stretched his hand for her.

"Oh God, no I couldn't." The men seemed to have stopped what they were doing and were staring at Stephen and her.

"What are you doing, Ireland?" Cena asked.

"Well lads, we're going ta be teachin' Mari how to fight, we are." He said. He had a grin plastered on his face and Mari's nerves shot up. The boys hooted excitedly and surrounded the ring.

"Actually, never mind. This is silly." She said nervously.

"Scared?"

Marianne turned around to face Adam Copeland. She was surprised to see him standing behind her (one – shirtless) and (two – looking very attractive) not instinctively be annoyed by his presence.

"No, I'm not scared." She said swallowing.

"Good, yer going ta need a punchin' bag. Adam, help a fella out, will ye?"

Adam easily picked up Mari, his hands at her waist, and hoisted her up for Stephen to pull her into the ring. Adam slid in behind her and she looked around at her audience nervously.

"Face yer opponent, lass." Stephen turned her around and she came face to face with Adam.

"If we're going to do this…" Mari said taking a deep breath. "I better take off my heels."


	12. The First Fight Class

"What are you possibly going to teach her, Stephen? You only know how to fake-punch… badly!" Randy yelled out from the bleachers.

"Oi! Me daddy taught me how ta fight!" He yelled back.

The men laughed which released the tension in her body. She knew that every guy in the WWE was very capable of not just doing wrestling entertainment but professional fighting as well. They learned the strategies of ultimate fighting and the details of All-American wrestling. Not to mention they maintained their bodies in perfect shape with extensive durability and resiliency.

"Here, darling. Well first, ye got to get a good stance. Widen yer legs a big… there, that's strong. Ye want to be grounded so yer opponent can't push you or break yer balance."

Mari became aware that everyone was watching her impromptu fighting class and warmth rushed to her cheeks as she faced Adam. She spread her legs and locked them in as Stephen suggested.

Chris Jericho jumped in the ring and adjusted her knees. "Make sure you bend them a little for flexibility."

"Second, me Da taught me to always keep me hands by me face." Stephen put both his fists by his eyes providing a semi-shelter for his face.

"This way you're protected" Adam said. "Your eyebrows burst open easily, and so does the area above the cheekbones. Not to mention this way you'll cover your eyes and nose too."

Marianne brought her hands up to the head, closing them into protective fists. "Like this?"  
"Perfect." Adam said.

"Even if you are getting tired, keep your arms up to your eyebrows. That's important." Cena said from ringside.

"Tell her to pivot!" Evan yelled.

"Well, aye, ye'll want to pivot and move around a wee bit, but remember to keep yer stance up. This way yer opponent gets distracted by yer movement and loses his edge." Stephen added to Adam, "No pun intended."

"Very cute, Sheamus. I won't lose my edge, don't worry." Adam said winking at Marianne.

She stared at Adam unsure how to react to his friendliness all the sudden, until Jericho brought her back to focus. "If you stay in place, you're going down easily."

"Now, yer jab… ye want to fully extend yer arm, not halfway, full extension." She did as the Irish man described, jabbing forcefully.

"Good, now bring your hand back up to your face. Shoulders in, good." Chris Jericho said.

"Always bring your hands back to your face, you want to stay protected. Your elbows help protect your ribs and your side too." Adam said, demonstrating.

Mari sighed. "This is a lot to take in."

"No you're doing great." Jericho said.

Mike and Randy who were sitting a little further away started a chant, and Mari was quite sure it was Mike's doing.

"Let's go Mari, let's go." Clap. Clap. "Let's go Mari, let's go."

Stephen and Chris laughed loudly causing a rippling effect with the people in the room. Mari grinned when Adam pretended to take offense and climbed the ring, shaking his fist at Mike and Randy.

"The audience loves ye, Mari, yer a natural!" Stephen joked. "Alright, so what have ye learned?"

"Um. To be balanced. Protect my face and punch as hard as I can." She said with a quick jab.

"Full extension." Adam said as he showed her.

She repeated the motion a couple of times and a few people murmured their approval. She was starting to get more comfortable and although she could never truly know what these men experienced in the ring, she now had a small idea of the thrill of having people watch and support you live.

"Now the other arm. " Jericho said.

"That's yer second move. So now ye have the right arm jab, we'll call that one and left-arm jab, that's two. Now give me a combo, maybe a little 'one, one, two.' Now a 'one, two, one.'"

Marianne punched Adam's flat-handed palm and squealed in excitement as she properly threw a series of punches.

"Good, now remember to keep the arm you're not using to protect your face. You don't want to give Adam a chance to side step you and get your face." Chris added. Mari stepped back and repeated the motions, punching the air.

"It's great that you're learning this, but you should also know a few street fight moves." John Cena said, getting into the ring. "Let's say you're attacked from the back Adam get behind her."

When Adam's arm came around her in a bear hug, Mari's whole body tensed. She could feel the heat from his chest and was very aware of his body next to hers.

"Now lass, ye don't want to get too tense. The key is to relax yer body." She let out a deep breath as she let a little loose.

"Try and think Mari, he has his arms secured around your upper body. What's free?" Cena asked.

"Uh… my feet."

"You also have your hands and your head." Chris said

"Your first instinct was feet. Let's go with that. While he is tightening his hold on you, lift your leg." Mari did as he instructed. "Now kick back, try and aim for his knee."

"Ow." Adam said as she made impact.

"You can feel it, right? He's loosened the hold." Cena said. "Now throw your head back and butt his head."

"Goddamn it!" Adam said letting go of her and rubbing his chin from where she made contact.

"Now you're free." Cena said.

"Now what?" Adrenaline was rushing through her body.

"Now ye make yer escape, lass!"

"That's it?" She asked disappointed.

"Damn, Adam your girl is bloodthirsty!" Cena said.

"We want tables!" Mike yelled!

"Tables! Tables! Tables!" Mike was successful at starting a chant among the superstars and Mari laughed.

"Alright, get the girl a table!" Cena said playfully.

"Oh please don't!" she pleaded.

She wasn't sure if they were teasing her or if they would actually bring out a table. Either way, she was thankful when TJ, Natty and Maryse walked in. They walked to the ring curiously and Natty waved to Mari.

"You boys teaching Marianne how to wrestle now?" She asked cheekily. "Should the Divas be worried?"

"Yeah, we're going to make her the best Diva in the WWE." Cena said teasingly.

"Damn straight!" Evan piped in.

"We take care of our own." Cena said.

Marianne smiled. It was nice to feel the love from her new coworkers. They really knew how to fight and were very good at naturally protecting each other. Their careers depended on it after all, and she was starting to get it. Wrestling that is. Wrestling entertainment was all about the art of the fight without the pain. It was all about the heart. These guys were resilient, full of stamina, and strong…. They knew how to really fight and it was impressive that they didn't. In her books that was a lot harder than ultimate fighting.

"Thank you. That means so much to me." She said honestly.

Adam helped her down from the ring and she realized she wasn't angry with him anymore.

"Now can we have a truce?" He whispered.

"I'll think about it."

She put her heels back on and straightened herself. She thanked everyone again and gave Stephen, Cena and Chris a big hug. She was leaving the arena when Mike shouted out from the bleachers: "Hey Mari!"

She looked back and laughed when she saw him standing on a seat, seemingly ready to cut the best promo of his life.

"If none of that works…" Mike yelled, "Just kick him in the balls and run!"

Chris slapped his knee and peals of laughter were heard from the room. Mari grinned at Mike and walked out of the arena.


	13. Pre Night of Champions

"All right ladies, I'm giving the house over to you." Calvin said, "I'm going back to the hotel for a nap."

"Thanks Calvin." Sofie said.

Marianne, Sofie and Calvin's crew had just finished setting up everything for Night of Champions later that day and were leaving the Chicago arena for a well deserved break.

Mari added, "You're the best."

"No you are, Mari." He replied grinning.

"Calvin!" Sofie exclaimed with false shock.

"Sorry dear, you're engaged to a very aggressive man. Mari isn't."

Calvin winked at Mari and left the chuckling women. Mari sighed loudly and sat down on a couch backstage.

"What a weekend."

"The pay-per-view hasn't even started yet, just wait for it." Sofie replied warmly.

"Thanks again for everything you've taught me Sofie. I would have never learned so fast without you. You're very good at your job."

Sofie blushed. "That's very kind, Mari. I am sure you would have done a great job either way. Are you excited to start travelling with Smackdown?"

"A little bit nervous to be on my own. A little sad I won't travel with you guys anymore… but yes; I'm looking forward to holding the reins." Mari said.

"Mm." Sofie said in agreement.

"What?"

"Oh it's nothing."

"Sofie, what?" Mari asked.

"Well, I noticed there was a bit of heat between you and Adam. Are you interested in him?" she asked.

"Adam? Oh God, no. He irritates the hell out of me."

"Oh because it looked like you were both very much attracted to one another." Sofie smirked.

"That's crazy talk, Sofie, crazy!"

Sofie raised an eyebrow at Mari causing her to sigh loudly. She invited Sofie to sit down on the couch beside her and picked up her coffee.

"He drives me bananas. The man is incorrigible, conceited and quite frankly, an asshole. He – no, _we_ kissed."

Sofie's eyes widened.

"Before things were done with Charles. I know, please don't look at me like that. Every since we met it's just been fight after fight and heading to Toronto we had a moment in the airplane, and then I got drunk… we kissed. And than Charles showed up."

Sofie tsk'd. "Is that how you got that bruise?"

"Yes. Charles half-assedly proposed and I ended up telling him the truth. I had wanted things to end with him since it began, I am glad I finally had a reason."

"Well more than one reason." Sofie said matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you had the abusive side of Charles and Adam."

Mari shook her head. "I don't have Adam. No, he is certainly not any reason for me to end things with Charles."

"But you kissed."

"That was a mistake." Mari said.

"Oh he's not so bad. He's a good kisser."

Mari choked on her coffee. "You've kissed Adam? I thought you and Randy…"

"Oh God, no. It's always been Randy. My kiss with Adam, it meant nothing. I felt no sparks with Adam, no heat. When Randy kisses me I come alive. It's warm and protective and it makes me feel so safe. He makes me feel like the most beautiful woman on the planet."

Mari swallowed. Her description explained perfectly how Adam's kiss felt. "Oh."

"Too bad Adam didn't spark that for you." Sofie said.

"Mm hmm. Too bad." Mari's thoughts were dizzying and she bit her lip to change her focus.

"Well I am glad you are not with Charles anymore. Who knows, maybe you will fall in love with someone in Smackdown." Sofie grinned.

"Hah. I doubt it. Although… I do have a weird crush on Dolph Ziggler. When he isn't looking like a male stripper, he is quite attractive."

"Nick? Hah! Wait until I text him that you like him." Sofie laughed loudly. "Male stripper. Randy is going to love that!"

"The last thing I need is another boyfriend. Even if he is as cute as Nick" _Or as Adam._

"That's probably true." Sofie sighed and stood up. "Alright lady, I'm going to also go and take a nap. I'll see you tonight?"

"Absolutely."

"What are you going to do?"

"Mmm. I have my laptop so I'll probably just answer some e-mails here."

"Alright. After tonight we should go for a drink to celebrate your move to Smackdown. It is your last night with Raw after all." Sofie added.

"That sounds lovely."

Mari watched Sofie leave and stretched out on the comfortable sofa. She pulled out her laptop bag, unzipping the top and pulling out her chic Mac book. She quickly typed in her password and successfully logged in. She smiled at her desktop picture: a child playing in the rain, her arms spread out as she allowed the drops of water to land on her sweet face. Marianne loved changing her desktop picture every couple of weeks with images that perfectly imitated how she felt. She had put on the little girl in the rain when she ended things with Charles. The look of freedom on the girl's face was the perfect replica of her own emotion towards the end of her relationship.

She was replying to her brothers' e-mails when she heard footsteps accompanied by male chatter. She put her laptop down and walked towards the door, peeking her head out into the hallway. Chris Jericho was talking on his cell phone and he waved at her when he noticed her grinning head.

"All right man. See you soon." He hung up the call and walked towards her. "Marianne, my little birdie!"

She hugged her friend and invited him in to the lounge. "What are you doing here so early?"

He sighed. "Preparing. I'm leaving to tour Fozzy soon so tonight might be my last night. I mean, I'll be there tomorrow for that crazy long taping, but I am unsure if Vince will want to use me. I hate when we tape two shows at once. You'll be there right?"

"No chance. I'm moving to Smackdown tomorrow. I have to fly to Bloomington, Indiana tomorrow morning,"

"What!" He exclaimed. "This is absurd!"

Marianne smiled sadly. "Are you coming back? I heard no one ever truly leaves this company."

"Of course I am coming back. I am Chris Jericho, the best in the world at what I do, Mari. They won't survive without me"

"Parasite." She said.

"Hypocrite." He replied.

"I'll miss you and our dancing." She said.

"Dance birds for life. Deal?"

"Deal."

They hugged tightly. Chris sat down on the sofa and she followed suit, crossing her legs. "So tell me again what you are doing?"

"He's meeting with me. "

Mari looked up to see Adam standing at the door. Butterflies flew freely in the pit of her stomach as she tried to hide the excitement from her face.

"Hi." She said.

Their eyes met. "Hi."


	14. Impulse And Adventure

Night of Champions was finally done and Marianne was feeling ecstatic about it. The night had flown by quickly and joyfully, leaving her in a state of full appreciation. She hadn't enjoyed work in this way, well ever, and she was becoming very accustomed to the feeling of reward the WWE brought her. When Adam approached Mari, he was smiling darkly to himself and she straightened herself self-consciously. When Adam faced her he amusedly raised his eyebrow at her wary expression.

"What are you doing now?" He asked.

She raised an eyebrow in return. "You care? Shouldn't you be celebrating your match?"

"Match shmatch. " He said shrugging a shoulder.

"Night of Champions is pretty big and your match went stellar. You're not excited?"

Adam chuckled. "Yes, I am. Listen, we're going to break a few bottles of champagne as a surprise to Chris. He's leaving after tomorrow."

"I know, he told me."

"Well, you going to join us?" Marianne bit her lip undecidedly. "Come on. It's your last night with us too. I promise to get you home early."

"Alright. "

"Come Marianne! When are you going- wait, what?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I said 'alright.'"

When she gave a small smirk Adam laughed loudly. When he crossed his arms over his chest and watched her for a moment, Marianne's cheeks warmed.

"What?"

"I didn't think it would be that easy." He answered truthfully.

Before Mari could respond to his reply he closed the distance between them and twisted a curious and inconvient loose strand of her hair with his finger. She could smell the musky male smell of him sweetened by a delicious fragance of cologne on his neck.

"I love your hair." He whispered.

She inhaled sharply. Shrugging his wandering hand away she looked around nervously. "What are you doing?"

He smiled again when he touched her arm softly, Marianne gave a small shiver. "I –"

"You're soft." He cleared his throat. "And you smell really good."

"Why are you being such a flatterer?" She put the folder she was holding down and finally gave him her full attention. Adam seemed pleased with himself.

"Me? I'm just being honest." He said with a smirk.

"Uh huh."

"You're really cute when you are suspicious of me." Marianne eyes widened slightly at that. What was this game he was playing?

"Adam." She said expecting the rest.

"Ok, look… you're leaving for Smackdown tomorrow and we're not going to work together again for a while. I just wanted to leave on a good note. Your Smackdown, I'm Raw. So for tonight no more fighting."

She stared at him. "Okay."

"Okay? Wow, this has been really easy." He teased.

"Hey! Guys, let's go!" Mike said as he walked by them. "Popping champagne!"

Marianne looked up at Adam with a smile. "Let's go."

She picked up her purse and jacket and walked beside Adam to where the others were, a chic sitting area backstage. She was surprised when she saw almost everyone there already, all dressed up and looking extremelly well. True to Mike's word, there were plenty of champagne bottles chilling in elegant steel containers. It looked like there was a bottle for each person and Marianne was impressed by how far Chris' friends went to make his night memorable.

When Chris Jericho walked in the room cheers and applause exploded in the room from it's guests. He at first looked shocked but quickly grinned at the smiling room. As the first few bottles popped open, glasses were passed and toasts were made to Chris.

"To Chris Jericho!" Adam spoke first.

"To Fozzy!" a voice from the back.

Mike added, "To having more airtime on Raw!"

Loud cheers broke out mingled with laughter. "To not having to compete with Jericho's promos!"

Marianne giggled as she enjoyed the banter between the roster. She gulped back her glass of champagne and it didn't take very long for her glass to be refilled. She hadn't realized how happy she was until this moment. This job really was fantastic and Marianne couldn't figure out what she had done to get so lucky, but she was thankful. She sipped the bubbly liquid slowly enjoying how it tasted in her mouth. When a drop escaped and rolled over her lip she caught it with her thumb, pressing it to her mouth deliciously.

Her cheeks became rosy when she caught Adam staring hotly at her, his gaze fixed on her lips. He lifted his eyes looking straight at her and she noticed his jaw clenched. The celebration continued and an hour in, Marianne discovered (to her surprise) she was tipsy from the alcohol. She grinned to herself.

_This is fun_, she thought. Marianne Tobey was not impulsive or adventurous but tonight she was going to let go of all that and just enjoy herself.

She had much to celebrate after all, including this job, her freedom from Charles and her new… well, friendships. When Natalya approached her they sat down comfortably and chatted for a while and when more drinks came around Marianne politely declined.

"Come on Mari, have one more!" Natty urged her.

"I've had a few. I shouldn't…"

"When are we going to do this again?" she asked.

"Natty, I'm going to see you in two week s at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view."

Natalya laughed. "I guess you're right! I don't know why I am so sad, you are not going to go very far from me!"

"No, she is not." Adam said from behind her. He leaned in and kissed Natty on the cheek. "Hi Nat."

"Hi Adam." She said leaning in for a hug.

"Mind if I take Marianne home? I promised I would get her home early and I'm afraid she's already drunk." Adam asked the blond Canadian.

"Hey! I'm not drunk." She said in mock-offense.

"Sure thing Adam. Our girl is a lightweight." Natty winked.

"I'm not drunk!" She said again, "maybe tipsy."

"Come princess, let's get you home." He said extending his hand. She reached for it and when she stood dizzly he steadied her.

"Goodnight Natty."

"Goodnight Mari."

"Goodnight Chris!" Marianne yelled out.

"Mari, no, no you can't leave!" Jericho replied excitedly.

"I have to travel very far for Smackdown Tuesday and I still have to prepare."

They said their goodbyes and Chris hugged Mari tightly as they promised to keep in touch with one another. Adam was returning with her jacket and Mari took it from his hands, shrugging it on.

"Thanks."

"I did promise to get you home."

"You did."

"Adam – you coming back?" Chris asked.

"Uh yeah, I will." He replied.

They walked quietly to the loading area as Calvin called them a cab. As they waited Mari and Adam stared at each other intensely. She wanted him to kiss her and she blushed at the thought. _She didn't even like him, _she told herself_. _She did not know what it was about him that attracted her so much but after their first kiss she could think of little else. He looked so good in his faded jeans and argyle fleece sweater , and she wanted to devour him.

"He's right, I am drunk!" She said to herself.

He smiled . "What?"

Blushing she quickly replied, "N-nothing."

The cab arrived and he opened the door giving her room to enter the backseat. When he sat beside her and closed the door Marianne stared. "You don't have to come. You've done enough!"

"I want to take you home."

Her mouth went dry and she moistened her lips with her tongue.

"You're killing me here." He whispered to her.

"W-what do you mean?"

"Your lips. I can't stop staring at them."

"Oh."

Adam gave directions to the driver and Marianne sat beside the incredibly good looking man as he spoke, trying not to jump on top of him. She wanted him to kiss her again so badly. He put his arm behind her and she fell comfortably into his warm chest, leaning on him slightly. His body was hard and Marianne was enjoying, if only for the moment, how it felt to be in his embrace.

She had to admit, she would miss Adam Copeland. Annoying as he was, his presence did soothe her and she did notice when they weren't fighting they had quite a good time. Maybe it was good she was leaving him behind, it would be a good way to start everything fresh and make new friends on Smackdown.

"We're here." He opened the door for her and helped her out the taxicab.

"Thanks so much for bringing me home. You can go back to the par-" Adam's lips quickly drowned out Marianne as he kissed her. She melted into it, kissing him back feverishly and grabbing his shoulder.

He broke the kiss abruptly and caught his breath. "You have no idea how badly I wanted to do that all night."

"I… can imagine." Her voice full of lust. His thumb brushed over her lips softly.

"When you were sipping on your champagne I could only imagine you naked in my bed and me licking the champagne off of your body."

Marianne gasped softly.

"I want you so bad." He said huskily. "Let me please you tonight."

Marianne didn't bother to reply. She lifted herself on her tippy toes and planted a sweet kiss on his lips. "Yes."


	15. Pleasures

They stumbled into the room wildly, all the while in each others embrace. Adam's hands were intertwined in her fiery hair and Marianne was successfully removing his jacket. Their lips did not break contact and Mari struggled for a moment, as she attempted to remove his slick black belt. She felt him groan as their kiss deepened and a new wave of confidence washed over her. She was doing it. Marianne Tobey was letting go of everything that kept her from spontaneous fun if only for this moment and she was going to simply let instinct rule. Adam's hands went to the small of her waist and he picked her up with ease as Marianne's legs wrapped around him, locking behind his back.

They broke the kiss temporarily and both breathed heavily as her wandering hands continued to explore him.

"Wait, are you sure you want to do this?" Adam asked her.

They stood in the middle of the room, Mari still straddling his waist. She thought for a moment and realized even if this was a mistake, which it probably was, she deserved to follow her instincts. Besides, she wouldn't have to work directly with him for a long time and their sexual tension had to be dealt with. _Be adventurous Mari,_ she reasoned.

"I want to do this." She whispered.

Adam didn't hesitate. He walked her over to the bed and gently lowered her on it, climbing on top of her and Mari moaned when he nibbled on her neck, leaving a trail of kisses behind. She arched herself, giving Adam more skin to explore. He cursed softly but before Marianne could think to worry she had done something wrong, he threw his argyle sweater to the floor and quickly removed hers.

"You're driving me crazy." He rasped.

Marianne was left in a lacy black bra and her skirt while Adam still wore his half open rugged jeans. Adam kissed her mouth and she gently bit his lower lip, causing him to softly groan. His hands were traveling up and down her body and she felt her skin warm to his touch. When his hand moved down and inched her skirt lower, Mari gasped. His fingers were playing with the brim of her lacy panties and she fire rushed to her lower body. When he touched her womanhood, Marianne threw her head back and closed her eyes as she let the sensation take over thought. He toyed with her for a moment and Mari moaned. She would surely explode with the intense pleasure he was bringing her.  
"God Marianne, you're so hot for me. I've wanted this for so long."

He kissed her stomach, nibbling on her soft skin as he removed the rest of her clothes. When she was finally free of the concealing materials, Adam let out a shaky breath. He half-straddled her as his eyes wandered over her body and for the first time Marianne became shy. She tried to pull the soft linen over her body when he stopped her, his hands capturing her wrists. He lifted them over her head and placed them there as his hands returned to her body. He ran his thumb over her lips and she shivered in delight.  
"You're so beautiful." He whispered.

His strong hands cupped her small beautiful breasts and she leaned up towards his kiss needing more. When he moved to the center of the bed it was Marianne's turn to explore his body as she switched positions with Adam. She sat on top of him and his hands came to rest on her lower waist, lowering to stroke the fullness of her bottom. When she twisted and squirmed a bit, getting into a comfortable position he grunted at the sensation she caused.

"Careful, I don't want to finish too soon."

They explored each others bodies and Marianne quickly realized there had never been any passion with Charles. Unless it wasn't usually like this which she couldn't tell, as Charles had been her only other man. She shrugged the thought of her ex far from her mind and smiled down at the blond man beneath her.

She was feeling emotions and sensations she had never felt before and Adam was bringing her body into a new level of experience. She tingled and exploded at his touch, melted and hardened, clenched and flowed. She tasted herself on his tongue and pure ecstasy washed over her as they became one.

When he entered her she threw her head back and enjoyed the fullness of him inside her. He groaned at her slickness and whispered sweet-nothings in her ear, fulfilling her every sense. His thrusts picked up speed and Marianne could not be take much more, she was at the edge of her desire.

"You feel so good. God, you're so tight."

Warmth spread to her lower body and the fire grew as he filled her, plunging into her sweetness and causing her world to stop. She exploded into a sea of desire and he groaned, his hands tightening into fists. "Ahh."

As her body shook, Adam came into an incredible orgasm, quickly pulling out of her warm wetness. His seed spilling on the curve of her porcelain stomach and Adam breathed heavily in satisfaction.

"You're so damn sweet. I almost came inside you." He breathed, kissing her swollen-red lips.

Before she could return to reality and undoubtedly regret their lovemaking, Adam stood and ran to the bathroom. When he returned he had a moist towel, still warm from the hot water, and he gently wiped his seed from where it landed on her skin.

"Your skin is so perfect." He said.

"It's full of freckles."

"It's perfect. I am going to kiss every single freckle you have. "

They were lying in bed quietly and Marianne's hands were playing with the hair on his chest, little as it was.

"Do you wax your chest?" She asked.

"Sometimes. I used to a lot when I was younger for a better appeal in the ring, and now it hardly grows back so I just leave it."

"Me too."

He laughed. "You wax your chest as well?"

"What? No… my legs. I used to wax them and now the hair just doesn't grow back."

"Your legs are incredible. Especially when they are around my waist." He grinned.

"So smooth." She said sleepily.

They both fell into a light slumber as Marianne snuggled deeper under the covers and Adam snored softly. It wasn't long until Adam woke still hungry for Marianne. The room had fallen silent and in the darkness Adam's hands began to find new spots to caress. She murmured something in her sleep and turned towards him as if drawn to his touch. His mouth touched her skin and she moaned softly; he was fulfilling his promise to kiss every freckle.

They made love many times and each time Marianne was brought to a new height of sexual pleasure. When dawn approached Marianne stretched out on the bed lazily, no longer worrying about propriety. She was sated for the moment and judging by the grin on Adam's face he was as well. When he caressed the soft side of her breast, Mari groaned.

"No more!"

"No more for now. Rest princess." He stood from the bed and suddenly the warm bed became cold.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"I have phone meeting with Vince and the creative team at eight a.m." He said throwing his sweater on over each arm. "I'm going to prepare and come back at ten with breakfast."

She watched him quickly dress and Marianne's mouth became dry. Reality was slowly seeping back into her life and she made a decision he probably wouldn't like.

He bent over her and kissed her nose. "I'll be back. Try and sleep, you're going to need it."

Adam picked up his belt and slid it into the slits of his jeans. He opened his phone and chuckled, seemingly replying to a text message he had received. When he walked out with a wink, Marianne's stomach dropped.

"Oh Lord, what have I done?" She whispered to herself.

After taking a quick shower Marianne threw her scattered belongings in her suitcase and prepared to leave for Bloomington, Indiana. When Adam was dressing himself she had decided to leave before he could return. Her flight wasn't until four in the afternoon, but she was going to do what any woman in her position would do. Hide.

She was going to go to the airport early and try not to think too much about their night together. Their incredible, passionate night.

"Oh Lord." She repeated.

_He's going to hate me for leaving without telling him_, she thought. It did not matter. She would not have to face that for another two weeks until Hell in a Cell, and that would only be for three hours. After that she would go back to Smackdown and he would go back to Raw and she could continue to pretend this night never happened. She tied her auburn hair back and straightened herself, making her way to the rental car. A memory of Adam kissing her…_ there_, made her cheeks turn to crimson. He was so good at making her explode with pleasure.

"Oh Lord."

It was going to be a long two weeks.


	16. Captain Charisma

"You can't even understand how glad I am that we're taping and not doing this live tonight." Marianne said to Lorraine.

Lorraine was a dear woman in her late fifties that had travelled with Raw as its primary manager for almost three decades. She was incredibly important to the company and to the McMahons. Everyone knew her and everyone loved her, especially the head honcho himself, Vince. The issue was that Lorry was getting tired and not up to traveling nearly everyday of the year. This is why Sofie Sinclair had been hired; to help Lorraine out with extracurricular events and take the heavy load off of her shoulders. Recent events between Lorry and Vince had resulted in the older woman's decision to retire. When Linda explained that Vince needed someone strong to lead Smackdown Marianne felt warmth from the confidence she showed in her. Lorry was going to stay with Marianne for a couple of weeks with the intention of taking her retirement late October, early November.

"Yes, there is a certain peacefulness that Smackdown brings. Vince is considering making both shows live though." Lorraine said.

Mari gasped. "Really?"

"The test will be next Friday when we transfer to SyFy. If ratings go well, he will try it again a few times in the next couple of months."

"That's actually kind of exciting." Mari said.

Lorraine nodded. "Sometimes I feel as if they don't take Smackdown as serious because it's not live. It's a shame; it's a wonderful opportunity to build up young men by mixing them up with respected and established superstars."

"Like 'Taker?"

"Exactly. Poor Mark, he's hurting too."

They were walking into the arena and the wrestlers who had arrived early to rehearse greeted them politely. Matt Hardy and Christian (Marianne couldn't remember his real name to save her life, Bill?) were in the middle of the ring goofing around. Christian went into a hammer throw by Hardy and bounced off the rope with ease as it turned into a nicely delivered Irish whip. Hardy prepared for the attack and when Christian made contact he hooked his arms and pivoted, driving the back of Christian's head and neck into the mat.

Marianne gasped loudly causing Lorry to pat her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, my dear, they know what they are doing."

"That seemed like it really hurt. It looked like he fell funny. Are you sure he isn't hurt?" Mari asked concerned.

Lorry looked at the ring to see Christian grasping his shoulder and writhing in pain on the floor. "I can't tell if he is just selling it or if he is actually hurt. Will! William darling, are you ok?"

William Reso, Mari remembered, moaned in pain as he clutched his shoulder, showing no sign of stopping. Matt was looking at him uncomfortably, unsure of how to react and Mari's stomach dropped. Something was definitely wrong. She ran towards the ring and climbed in, dropping to her knees in front of the pale Will.

"Hi Will, my name is Mari. I'm going to check to see if you've broken your arm. Help is coming, ok?" William had lost all color to his skin and his face was sketched with agony.

"It's my shoulder. Something happened." He said between clenched teeth.

"You're alright, buddy. Pete is on the way." She said comfortingly.

Pete was the site doctor that was on-call at all times and she knew he had already arrived at the arena. It wasn't very long until he examined Will and called for an ambulance. Within the span of twenty minutes Marianne was in a private waiting room with the Captain of Charisma as he went through a series of scans and x-rays. The doctor concluded he had torn a ligament in his shoulder and would need surgery as soon as possible.

"No, no this can't be happening. How long, doctor?" He asked frustrated.

"Uh, well the procedure is only a few hours, we'll book you in for this week and you should be home and resting in no time." The doctor said with a smile.

"That's the problem doc. I can't go home and rest, I was just signed on for a major push. How long will I be _out_?" His voice was strained and Mari knew he wouldn't like the answer. She picked his hand up and held it in hers soothingly.

The doctor straightened uncomfortably. "Anywhere from four to ten months."

William sat there in silenced shock and after a moment his shoulders sagged in defeat. He didn't speak again but nodded his head in disappointment. Marianne felt an urge to hug him as she felt his sadness overpower her own emotions.

"We'll get you some painkillers for the time being. The drugs will help but please take it easy. Are you his wife?" The doctor asked her.

"No, his co-worker." She replied politely.

"She's my boss. Kind-of. We just met." He said.

After a few instructions the doctor excused himself and Marianne sat with Will as they waited for the painkillers. "I guess you get the night off."

"Hah. Are you kidding me? Vince will want me to appear tonight regardless. After the meds we need to go back."

"What?" she looked at him in shock. "You can't. You're hurt."

"Even if Vince said I needn't come, I have to. This is my entire life; people are expecting me to be there tonight." He tried sitting up and Mari stopped him, pushing him back down.

"Please, rest until you get the painkillers. I promise I will get you back to the arena on time, ok? I think I understand. If you let your fans down you let yourself down."

Will watched her in silence for a moment. "I see why Adam likes you."

Mari looked up and met his gaze. "No, Adam doesn't like me."

"I think he does, maybe not as much after you left him without a word yesterday but he definitely likes you."

Her eyes widened. "You-you know about that?"

"Adam is my best friend. I've known him since I was a little kid and we have no secrets."

"Well, you can go ahead and tell him it's rude to kiss and tell and I don't like _him_!"

Will chuckled. "Yeah, you'll be good for him."

He laid his head back on the pillow and closed his eyes as he smiled to himself. A nurse came in and greeted them politely.

"All right William, we're going to give you some Percocet for the pain – "

"No!" He interrupted. "I can't, I still have to work tonight. Percocet will make me drowsy and I have to stand in front of over 10,000 people tonight."

"But… you've torn a ligament. Ten thousand people? Boy, are you a rock star?" The nurse asked.

"No, an athlete." He said. "Please, something milder. I can come back for the stronger meds later tonight. Please."

Marianne watched the nurse struggle with the plea and smiled when she gave in to the attractive man. William Reso was quite dreamy after all.

When they returned to the arena Mari helped Will out of the car and they were guided through the back to the Gorilla position. The show was just about to start and luckily neither had missed much.

Mari approached Lorry and continued to catch her up with the sad news of Will's torn ligament. She had called her earlier and told her there was a possibility he wouldn't be able to attend. The older woman looked very sad and went over to the handsome man, sitting beside him, patting his hand as they chatted.

"You're scheduled for a match with 'Del Rio' tonight. What happens now?" Mari asked the two.

"I spoke to Vince. He wants to know if you are up for a vignette. We'll have Alberto 'take you down' backstage to explain why you are leaving."

"That's all Vince wants?" He asked disbelievingly.

"Well, I told him too bad for what he wants, you're hurt." Lorraine clucked motherly-like.

"Lorry. You know that's not enough. Let me call Vince."

"No." She said stubbornly.

"Lorry."

"Fine, but if you go out there to fight and hurt yourself more, it's all on you William Jason Reso!" With that Lorry left the Gorilla position in a huff.

Mari smiled. "She cares very much for you."

"And she'll love me tonight after I let Alberto kick my ass. Adam is going to be disappointed as hell."

"Adam?" She asked curiously.

"Well, we were going to re-form E&C again when he returned to Smackdown. He's going to have to do something different now."

"He is returning to Smackdown?" She asked incredulously.

"He didn't tell you? Oh that's right, you skipped town before he could tell you." He winked teasingly. "He's moving over after Hell in A Cell."

Mari paled. "Oh dear."


	17. Breath In Breath Out

Marianne was the most nervous she had ever been in her entire life for three little reasons. Although the reasons seemed simply it did not change the fact that Mari was more nervous than when she had her finals at Harvard and definitely more so than her interview with Linda McMahon. Even more nervous than when she had to perform a scene from Romeo & Juliet in grade nine in front of her whole school. This was pretty bad.

Reason one: it was the premiere of Smackdown on SyFy and not only was it live, but Lorraine had given her control of the court. She was leading the team solo tonight and she was trying not to psych herself out. _It's not like everyone was going to be there_, Mariane thought sarcastically. Reason two: three of her four older brothers were here tonight, watching the event live. Lorry had met the least intimidating of them all, Kaden, and insisted they all hang out backstage before and after the event.

Isaac, also a lawyer, was the oldest – and highly over-protective of Mari. When they were younger he acted almost like a father to her and didn't hesitate to put her other bothers in their place if they bullied her. Marianne guessed the reason why she didn't date in high school was because of Isaac. He was quite handsome and tall with piercing green eyes and incredibly intelligent. No one questioned Isaac. Period. The second born was James. As intelligent as Isaac but as care-free as her father. James had the true temper of the Irish, quick to heat up and long to last. She fought more with James than any other brother as he used every opportunity to infuriate her. However, he also supported her in every sense of the word. When her dad and Isaac had left town to visit her grandfather who had fallen ill, James took her to all of her piano lessons and when she had her first recital, he had shown up and sat proudly at the back. He had clapped wildly at the end even though she had completely messed up her song. Kaden and Lucas were twins and as different as can be. Kaden was a flirtatious scoundrel who could charm the pants off of any woman he spoke to, and he often did. Lucas on the other hand, was shy and sweet. He was as good looking as Kaden (they were identical), but had an incredibly hard time meeting women. He had written his first novel last year and was now among the youngest men to be a New York best-selling author. Unfortunately he didn't have time to leave his book tour and so Mari was stuck with the brains, the mouth and the looks. She sighed heavily. Her brothers always created trouble for her.

And thirdly: Adam Copeland. It had been two weeks since she saw him last and they had not communicated at all. She knew that he knew she had run away. She also knew he knew she knew. And yet he had not called, not e-mailed, not even texted her. She had no idea what was running through his mind and if he was still thinking about their night together.

"Holy mother of-" Marianne stopped herself short. What if her brothers met Adam? What if Adam said something incriminating? She wasn't worried for her brothers, she was worried for Adam. Both Isaac and James had been captains of their football teams in school and were extremely strong. Kaden was in perfect shape and could knock out someone with a punch. Mari should know; he had punched her date after prom when he kissed her goodnight at the door.

"Oh dear Lord." She muttered.

Doors were opening in one hour, the show starting in two. Marianne sat down and clutched her shirt. If she didn't relax she was going to have an anxiety attack. She bent her head down and tried to focus on her breathing. Breath in. Breath out.

"You ok, Mari?" Glenn asked as he walked by.

She looked up at the big red monster and nodded, still breathing. In. Out. She was enjoying the silence of being alone in the hallway when he heard footsteps. Marianne didn't open her eyes, they could just keep walking because nothing would make her get up until the doors opened.

"Marianne."

She opened one eye and stared at Adam. He was standing in front of her with a small frown on his face and she groaned inwardly when she realized that didn't change how good he looked. Not even affect it.

"Can we talk?"

She continued to stare at him and after a moment shook her head.

"No?" He asked.

She shook her head again.

"Alright, it seems like I wasn't clear. We have to talk and we're going to talk right now. Would you like to do it where anybody can hear or would you like to follow me into that quiet room over there?"

Silence.

"Lead the way." She said before muttering under her breath, "…big bully."

"I heard that, and I'm fine with it."

"What do you want?" She asked annoyed and closed the door to the small office.

"This."

When he arrived at the Ford Center in Oklahoma for the SyFy induction, he had no plans to even look at Marianne. He had decided to forget her; after all, she had been the one to leave him behind without a word. When he had returned to the hotel two weeks ago to find her gone, bags packed and only her sweet smell left behind, he had been furious. Just like her to run away after an incredible night of love-making.

He had returned with breakfast in one bag and coffee in the other. His plan was to first fill her belly, and then satisfy all of her other cravings. When he knocked on the door and heard no answer he had assumed she had fallen into a heavy sleep. He went to the concierge and after finally convincing the young woman to provide him with a key they were both shocked to find out Marianne had already checked out. He left the hotel furious, especially because he had been coming with not just food, but news as well. He had found out from Vince that same morning he would be moving to Smackdown.

So he had decided she was a little coward and he was done with her mind games. She drove him absolutely insane and when they weren't fighting, which was rare, she did things to confuse him. For example, helping his best friend through a hard time or simply looking delectable enough to make him forget how angry he was.

He had arrived early alongside some of the Raw roster to spend quality time with the Smackdown stars but when he saw Marianne introduce a tall stranger to Lorraine, his patience evaporated. He figured her out: she played with people's emotions and then left them behind. First Charles, then himself and now she had switched over to GQ's very own. Who knew Marianne was such a little player? Adam wasn't jealous at all. In fact he was relieved he hadn't wasted too much time with her.

It wasn't until later when he saw her alone in the hallway his anger came rushing back and he had desperately wanted to confront her. His fury diminished a little when he noticed how stressed she looked and his first reaction was to comfort her.

_Dammit!_

She grudgingly followed him into an office and when Marianne closed the door behind her all he could think about was how she felt in his bed two weeks prior. All common-sense flew out the window and he reacted in the only way he knew how.

""What do you want?" She huffed.

"This."

He pressed her against the door and crushed his lips to hers angrily. This kiss was no sweet kiss. All the anger that had brewed in him was coming out in form of searing hot passion and he could care less if she had a new boyfriend now. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth and when she responded with the same intensity he groaned. Her hands had locked behind his neck urgently and at that moment he couldn't get enough of her.


	18. Swagger's Hero

Marianne broke the kiss and she instantly regretted it as his lips lefts hers. They stared at each other in silence and Mari straightened herself self-consciously touching one finger to her lip.

She cleared her throat. "I hear you're moving to Smackdown?"

"Yes." He smiled. "Does that make you nervous?"

"No." She lied.

"Liar."

She swallowed. "Why would I be nervous?"

"Because you still want me."

"Hah!" Was her only reply. "The first time was a mistake."

"Oh that explains why we repeated the mistake a few more times that night."

"What done is done." She said trying to sound nonchalantly.

"I see." He said.

Mari was having a hard time meeting his gaze so she conveniently stared at her shoes."Yes."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Good."

"Good." She repeated, still avoiding his stare.

"So if I were to kiss you right now, you would feel nothing?"

She looked up at him and blushed. "Uh no."

"And if my lips travelled down to your neck, it wouldn't affect you at all?"

"No."

He continued. "If I unbuttoned the opening of your shirt and let my finger travel down the valley between your breasts, you would still be all cool and collected?"

She licked her dry lips, "Yes, I would."

"And what if I lifted you up and pushed you against that wall, removing all of your clothes?"

"I would stop you, naturally."

He smiled darkly. "I don't think you would."

"Well, you're wrong."

He broke some of the distance between them causing Mari to gasp and quickly move out of his reach. "You said you wanted to talk."

"Who's your new boyfriend?"

She wrinkled her brow in confusion. "What new boyfriend?"

"You introduced him to Lorry."

"Oh! Kaden."

"Forgot so quickly, why am I not surprised?" He replied sarcastically.

"I like Kaden very much. So does my mother." She said.

"He's met your mother? Must be serious."

Marianne almost smiled at that. It seemed like Adam thought her brother was a love interest and he seemed to be strangely mad at the thought.

"Sometimes I think my mother loves him more than me."

"Wow, what a catch." He retorted. "Does he know we slept together two weeks ago?"

"Why bring up the past, am I right?" Before he could say anything else Mari picked up her bag and walked towards the room. "I think we're done so I'm going to get back to work. I'll see you around."

She closed the door before she could hear his response and quickly walked down the hallway, trying to create a lot of distance between them. She was still thinking about his kiss and she better put that aside if she was going to get through the night successfully. She remembered what he assumed of Kaden and giggled. At least she made him jealous and if everything else went wrong tonight, she would have that.

* * *

Mari was done! The show was done, Lorry was happy, Vince was happy, the SyFy team were happy and Mari couldn't be more glad. Not one mistake happened tonight despite Adam's attempts to infuriate her. When her cell phone rang she groaned loudly thinking she jinxed herself. _Kaden_, her call display read.

"Hello." She picked up.

"Marilee…" Kaden started.

"Do not call me that, Kaden." She interrupted.

"But Marilee…" Mari hung up the call on Kaden to teach him a lesson.

_James calling_.

"Hello."

"Hi Mari. We're outside near the loading zone where you told us to wait. Will you come get us?"

"Sure will Jay. Tell Kaden he has to behave."

She could hear James telling his younger brother her message.

"… Mari, I always behave." Kaden said, stealing his brother's phone.

"Mm hmm."

"I do! You're the one who hangs up on people, Marilee!" He added.

Before Mari could shriek and hang up again, James took the phone back.

"Sorry, Kaden is being a little prick tonight." James said.

"I'm almost there. Ok through the doors, where are you guys?" She said looking around. It didn't take long to spot the three men. Isaac was finishing a cigarette and Kaden was trying to take James' cell phone again. "I see you."

She put her phone away and walked towards her brothers giving each a hug. Isaac pulled out a card and passed it to her.

"What's this?" she asked curiously.

"From mom and dad." Isaac replied.

She opened the card and quickly scanned the front. There was a school of fish around one larger fish and when she examined it closer she noticed the bigger fish had hand-drawn on red hair. She looked up narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Kaden and he grinned widely. She opened the card and it read 'You're the big fish now. Congratulations.' Underneath it said "_We miss you lots Marianne. Keep up the good work. Mom and Dad_."

Mom and Dad were crossed out and replaced by 'Big Brother and President Obama' and Marianne scowled at Kaden who was laughing hysterically.

"You really think you're funny don't you?" She asked. "Who put him in charge of the card?"

Isaac looked embarrassed. "He took it from my bag when I wasn't looking."

They walked backstage and Marianne noticed most of the Divas were checking out her brothers, especially the NXT girls. She smiled at that; her brothers really couldn't help how attractive they were. She noticed Adam was chatting with Jake, the All-American American and the Dude Busters. Jake Hager better known as Jack Swagger dropped his jaw open and widened his eyes in shock. He walked towards them and Mari frowned at his expression.

"James?" He asked. Swagger knew her brother?

"Oh man, I knew you looked familiar. Jake right?" James asked politely.

"Yeah. Oh man I can't believe you remembered my name." Jake turned to Adam and the Dude Busters (Greg and Kris) and he shook his head in disbelief. "When I started in Oklahoma University, James was the football team's captain. I tried out for you and we led the team to victory that year. You were my hero in University."

"You were really good. Even Isaac thought so. Remember Jake, Isaac?" James asked his older brother. Isaac had been the captain prior to James.

"Oh yeah. Powerful throw. You could have been a great football star." Isaac said.

"Isaac Tobey. You are a legend at Oklahoma University. What do you do now?" Jake asked.

"Lawyer." He replied.

Jack was grinning from ear to ear and he looked like a little kid at Christmas. "Wow. I can't believe I'm talking to Isaac and James Tobey. Football Gods."

"I'm also pretty good, if I say so myself." Kaden added wanting to be a part of the conversation.

"I'm not going to lie, I consider myself a good player as well." Adam said looking at Marianne suspiciously.

"Oh, I'm the worst! Guys, these are my brothers: Isaac, James and Kaden. This is Adam, Greg, Kris and of course Jake."

"Come, let me introduce you guys to everyone." Jake said leading her brothers deeper into the backstage area.

Adam strayed behind until he was walking beside Mari and deviously lifted and eyebrow at her. "Nice brothers. I especially liked Kaden"

She groaned. "Shush."

"We're not done talking."


	19. The Football Game

Marianne was not a chef nor was she a fancy caterer. Yet, she found herself making little tuna and cucumber sandwiches for the blasted football game today. After Smackdown Jake and some of the other superstars convinced her brothers to fly down to the _Hell in a Cell_ pay-per-view so they could hang out prior and have a good old fashioned football game in a community center nearby the American Airlines Center. Jake called a friend of his in Dallas and arranged to use a local center's football field privately for a few hours. Everyone, including the Raw roster, was incredibly excited and the last couple of days Mari had been harassed until submission. Now she found herself smelling like tuna pâté and sliced vegetables as she was put in charge of food. How she even got involved in this, Marianne had no idea. She didn't even like football! She also did not want her brothers anywhere near Adam so when they called her to say they would be there October 3rd, Mari wasn't particularly happy.

"Stupid sandwiches…" She mumbled.

She scooped the end of the pâté with her knife and spread it on the last piece of bread, carefully covering all four inches. She placed the last of the sandwiches in the blue container she had to go out and buy from a local supermarket and closed it tightly. She had bags of chips, sandwiches, veggies and fruits. She knew a few of her co-workers were vegetarian so she also bought a selection of meat-free options.

"Damn, I'm good." She said looking at the food she arranged.

She jumped in her rented car and drove towards the center Jake bargained for, humming to angry Alanis Morissette songs (the only Morissette songs she enjoyed).

"You, you, you oughta know… oughta know…" She sang loudly.

She was parking the car when her cell phone rang. _Adam Copeland calling_.

"Marianne probably doesn't want to talk to you, so this is her voice-mail, please leave a message after the beep. Beep." She answered with light humor.

"Hah hah, you're hilarious." He replied.

"I try."

"Jake texted me five billion times to ask you if your brothers are still coming. He also wanted me to remind you about snacks."

Mari sighed as she lifted the food out of her trunk, slamming the compartment close. "I'm going to kill Jake. Where are you?"

"Parking lot." He said.

"Me too!"

"I know, you look so cute struggling with those bags. How much food did you bring?" He asked playfully.

She looked around and hung up her phone when she spotted him a few spaces away. He was wearing red Nike shorts with an Edge shirt and he had a grin plastered on his face.

"Well, are you going to help?" She asked annoyed.

"How can I refuse when you ask so politely?" He grabbed most of the bags from her and showed no sign of struggle as he carried them easily.

"Thanks."

Mari and Adam walked in the center and weren't surprised to see most of Raw was already there as they had arrived a day earlier in Dallas. She grinned at Natty who was wearing a pink football jersey and running towards her. They hugged each other tightly and Mari was glad to have a friend there.

"I heard your brothers are smoking hot." She said winking.

Mari laughed. "I guess they are!"

They were setting up the field and Mari was impressed at how many people came but also at the effort Jake put in to make everything go well. He even got the proper safety equipment so they could go all out. When her brothers arrived it wasn't long until they were split up into two teams. She laughed when Jake struggled to decide whether he wanted to be in Isaac's team or James'. He ended up going with James and Adam teamed with Isaac. It was basically Raw versus Smackdown with her oldest brothers leading each team, and Kaden she noticed, sat out to flirt with the girls. He had most of the Divas entranced by whatever story he was telling and she hoped he didn't break any hearts here today.

She was seating on a bleacher answering e-mails from Vince on her blackberry when a shadow was cast over her. She looked up to see a delicious looking Adam standing in front of her all sweaty and manly and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Come play."

"No." She replied going back to her phone.

"Come on! We're just finished the first game, we're going to play another one and then pack up. Don't you want to have fun?"

She shook her head. "Football is not fun."

Mari heard outraged gasps from the players that were nearby and snacking between games, and waited for their outbursts in response. Her brother James was the first to rebut.

"Don't listen to her, she's crazy."

"Marianne has never liked football, I think it's because we always forced her to play with us when she would rather play with her dolls."

"Leave my dolls out of this!" She replied in mock anger.

No matter how hard they pleaded with her to play, her stubbornness won as per usual. She did however put her phone down to see everybody play the second round. It was an exciting game, with great moves from each team. Nearing the end she watched as Adam threw the football to Isaac and ran towards Jake who was going to tackle her brother. It didn't shock her when he speared him down, allowing Isaac to get a touchdown. The Raw team celebrated as they won the game over Smackdown and Mari thought Jake was going to cry; he looked so upset. When Isaac shook his hand Jake's smile returned quickly to his face. They were all laughing and cheering when she noticed Kaden was still chatting with Barbara Blank who hadn't played and she noticed he was making little Kelly Kelly blush over something or other he said.

She was pleased to see not only all of her food was gone but they had thrown out the plastic plates and leftover garbage, leaving her with little to do. She quickly packed up the containers and made her way to the car that was parked outside. Her brothers approached her alongside Mike, Randy and Adam and she nearly groaned out loud.

She greeted them. "Hey guys."

"We're going to go out for lunch. Want to come?" Randy asked politely.

"Lunch? Didn't you guys get enough sandwiches?" She asked.

"Yeah about those…" Kaden started.

"… They were almost too good to eat." Mike added.

Adam cleared his throat. "So we didn't. Eat them."

"What!" She yelled. "What happened to them? I made so many!"

"We may or may not have thrown them out." James said looking bashful.

"I can't believe you guys! Were they that bad?" She asked shocked.

"They were… something alright." James said.

"Didn't you try it when you were making it?"

"No. I don't like tuna."

Adam replied quickly, "We don't either now."

Everyone laughed with the exception of Marianne and she crossed her arms over her chest. "You guys are mean."

"Aw Marilee, it's not our fault you're a horrible, _horrible_ cook."

"Don't call me Marilee, James. And did you really have to add the second 'horrible'?"

"Come on, join us for lunch." Mike pleaded.

"I can't guys; I'm meeting Sofie to go over the pay-per-view. I'll see all of you tonight though."

She exchanged hugs with her brothers and was getting in her car when Isaac stopped her. "Wait."

"What's up, I?" She asked.

"What's going on between you and Charles? He keeps calling me, e-mailing me, texting me, pleading with me to call you and get you in contact with him. Did you guys break up?"

She looked around uncomfortably when she realized the other five men were listening intently including Adam. She took a second to compose herself before answering but Isaac went on before she could get a response out.

"He loves you Mari, he was going to propose. Why did you end things? The poor guy is love sick and he may even be fired, he's missed a few days at work and his agency has even contacted me looking for him." Isaac had recommended Charles to the firm he works for now and they probably thought Isaac would know about his whereabouts.

"Uh it's a long story. He did propose and I declined."

The others stopped pretending they weren't listening and piped in. "What!"

"Guys please, Charles wasn't for me."

"I'll say." Adam muttered while Mike and Randy looked uncomfortable.

"What are we missing here?" James asked darkly.

"Nothing." She said.

"Charles was a dick." Adam spat.

"Okay, I'll give you that. He's not the easiest guy to be around but he treated you good, didn't he Mari?" Kaden asked. He had never liked Charles.

"Uh. Yeah of course." Before Adam could say anything else she jumped in her car distracting everyone and closed the door. She spoke through the open window before driving away. "He just wasn't for me. I'll tell you guys about it _myself_ afterwards. I got to go. Have fun at lunch."

She drove away angrily and hoped Adam got the clue. She did not want him to spill to her over-protective brothers that her ex had hit her. One: they would lose their fricking minds and two: Adam would be their hero for ever for bringing that incident to their attention. She didn't want either and truthfully, she hoped she never had to talk about Charles again.


	20. Not Blackmail

Adam had really enjoyed lunch with Mari's brothers and saw how much of her traits were also in them. They all had unique personalities that Mari embodied. Isaac had his powerful demeanor, like when Mari was focused and trying to get something done during a difficult show. James was similar to Isaac but in a less intense way; he reminded Adam of when she was calm and simply enjoying her surroundings. Kaden was an all-together different person from the other two brothers, but surprisingly very similar to Mari. He was quick to respond and always had something to say, whether it was positive or negative it didn't matter, he had a strong opinion. But the guy was likable; you couldn't help but really enjoy his company for he kept the conversation going and things fresh. Mari was like him in that way; quick-witted and to the point.

They were settling the bill when Isaac abruptly changed the topic from sports to something that was always in Adam's mind nowadays. Mari.

"So how has our Mari been doing?" Isaac asked. "Anybody giving her a hard time?"

"Everyone seems to really like her, including Vince." Randy answered truthfully. "My fiancée adores her."

Adam noticed that 'Randy and Sofie' bothered him less and less. A couple of months ago he had fancied himself liking her and thought he had genuine feelings for Sofie Sinclair. That quickly changed, dissolving into a matter of pride as Randy had won, and he had lost. Now he saw that the entire time he thought he had liked Sofie he had really only wanted something new in his life and a relationship seemed like the obvious answer to his problems. Now a relationship was the farthest thing in his mind, what he really wanted was the world heavyweight belt and nothing was going to stop that. Not even a pretty little redhead with a quick temper.

"Did you guys end up meeting Charles, her boyfriend?" Isaac continued. Adam had a feeling this was more of an interrogation then friendly questions.

"Ex-boyfriend." Adam said.

Isaac took a sip of his water. "Yes. Ex."

"We met him briefly but they didn't stick around." Randy said slightly uncomfortable.

"You mentioned he was a dick, Adam. Did something happen?" James asked concerned.

Before Adam could reply, Kaden cut it. "Okay, obviously something happened. The longer we don't know what it is, the worse we're going to assume it is."

"Uh guys… we weren't there when they broke up, we just have an idea…" Mike started.

"Look, can we be frank here?" Adam interrupted. "As much as I would love to give you a reason to kick Chipmunk's ass…"

"Charles." Isaac said.

"Whatever. This is Marianne's private business and if you want to find out only she can tell you."

Adam and Isaac locked eyes and they stared at each other intently as they tried to size each other up. After a couple of seconds Isaac nodded.

"You're right."

It didn't take long before the subject was dropped and re-directed right back to their light banter. The men paid their bills and slowly made their way out of the restaurant. Adam had fun, it was nice to hang out with other men and not have it to do with the wrestling business; it was refreshing. He did like her brothers as well, they were cool and they obviously cared a lot for their younger sister which he respected.

There was something about Mari that both captivated him and infuriated him, and he couldn't decide which was stronger. They bickered every other moment and yet even when they were fighting, Adam was happy to be in her presence. He really enjoyed their fights, strange as it seemed. He wasn't necessarily looking for a relationship anymore but he couldn't deny the chemistry between him and Marianne was unlike any other. When they spent the night together – that was indescribable still. He had no words to describe the heaven that had been Marianne, nor the softness of her skin or how sweet her lips had tasted. He craved to be with her again but he wasn't going to chase her skirts only to be rejected. She obviously had no interest in him so he was going to move on.

"Easier said than done…" Adam muttered under his breath.

They were parting ways when Isaac approached him. "Adam, wait."

"What's up?"

"Look, I'm sorry if I went all badass lawyer on you guys earlier. I'm pretty protective of Mari and everyone says I'm too much sometimes."

Adam shook the offered hand, "It's all good, man. You're her brother."

"I appreciate the fact that you stood up for her privacy. I'm going to talk to her tonight. Just tell me one thing, is she really ok?"

"I think so." Adam replied honestly. "Either way she is safe with us."

"Good."

They spoke briefly and it wasn't long until Adam was headed to his hotel to shower and then off to the pay-per-view. He received a text from Marianne just as he was arriving: _Did you say anything to my brothers?_

_Hello to you too_, he replied sarcastically.

_Adam…_

He chuckled and texted her back. _Your dirty ex-boyfriend secret is safe with me. I think I deserve a reward._

He felt his phone vibrate shortly after and glanced down to the message: New Text from Marianne Tobey._ Hah. For being a good human being?_

Adam smiled as he quickly replied,_ Yes. I also didn't tell your brothers we slept together… that was harder than I imagined..._

His phone vibrated_, You wouldn't. _

_Well I figured you could do something to keep me quiet._

It was a few minutes before she replied and Adam prepared for his shower as he waited patiently. _Are you blackmailing me?_

_So dramatic, Marianne. Not blackmail, just a little persuasion. I'm sure you can come up with something to keep me quiet. _

He could just picture the look of fury on her cute little face._ What do you want?_

He didn't really expect her to take him seriously but since she had… well, he planned on having a little fun with the woman that drove him crazy. He took his shirt off and turned the hot water on as he set aside a change of clothes for tonight. _I want a kiss._

_That's all? Fine. One kiss and no one can see. _Adam chuckled.

_No, no, I don't plan on kissing you tonight. I want this kiss to come from _you_. Tonight at Hell in a Cell. You kiss me. _

He didn't wait for her reply as he jumped in the shower. He let the water run down his body as his thoughts wandered back to the night he spent with her. _Shit._ Adam wasn't supposed to be thinking about that anymore, after all, she had left him the next day and if he hadn't shown up at the SyFy premiere he doubted she would have even bothered to call him. Women were so complicated. He shut off the water and quickly dried himself off as he jumped out of the shower. As he dressed and got his gear in place, his gaze kept returning to his cell phone on top of the bed. He finally walked over and opened it up: Two New Texts.

_Marianne Tobey_

_10/03/10 4:47pm _

_You can FORGET IT. I am not kissing you, period. _

He grinned and scrolled down to the next one.

_Marianne Tobey_

_10/03/10 5:01pm _

_One kiss. That's it. And then you keep your mouth shut. _

Sweet victory, Adam thought. "This should be fun."


	21. Regrets

Mari slowly came to wake as she burrowed deeper into her warm blanket. She opened one eye and cringed when it met the sunlight streaking through the hotel room window. She closed it back tightly and turned comfortably in her bed. When she made contact with a hard body she gasped.

"Oof. Is this how you wake your partner in bed?" Came from the sleepy form.

"Adam." She groaned. "I forgot you were here."

He sat up lazily and grinned. "Was I that forgettable?"

"Ugh. No, but it doesn't change the fact that this was a mistake. Again."

Marianne quickly wrapped the covers around her exposed body and swatted his wandering hands. Memories from Hell in a Cell were returning to her and she blushed when she remembered how everything started. When she had arrived at the arena she had naturally ignored Adam and his silly threats to expose her to her brothers. She knew he would never do that, even if he did say things to infuriate her. When she had texted him back agreeing to kiss him she had planned to turn everything around on him by making him want her the way he made her want him, but then leave him hot and heavy. Oh boy, had she failed miserably.

* * *

When they finally came face to face alone, Mari's courage quickly fled her. She had been left in the green room to wrap everything up as the superstars and divas left to get some rest before Raw the next day, or Smackdown on Tuesday, but she hadn't expected him to hang around.

"Well, look who it is." He said as he entered the room.

"Adam, you startled me." Her heart beating rapidly. "What are you still doing here?"

"I wasn't going to leave until I let you kiss me."

"Hah! That's not going to happen." She retorted.

"Aw, is wittle Mawianne afwaid to kiss me?" He mocked.

She scoffed. "I'm not afraid, I just happen to know you are all talk. You're not going to say a word to my brothers now and you had plenty of opportunities before. So why don't you get your stuff and go home."

Marianne picked up a few trays from catering and loaded them in the dolly. After she got everything out of the green room she could leave. She turned her back on Adam and kept herself occupied by arranging the trays neatly in a pile.

"Ok, I'll leave. Didn't take you for a coward though." He turned around and walked towards the door.

"I'm not a coward, Adam Copeland."

"Prove it, Marianne Tobey."

"I don't have to prove anything to you! "

He smirked and walked towards the door again. "Suit yourself, princess."

"It's just a stupid kiss!" She yelled out to him.

He turned around and faced her. "Then what is the problem? Kiss me and get it over with. No one is here, a single kiss and then you no longer have to worry about me."

"Fine."

"Alright then."

They stared at each other as she fumed at his cocky grin and stepped towards him. Clearing her throat, Mari attempted to calm her nerves. Her heart was beating wildly and nervous butterflies fluttered in her stomach. What was the matter with her? It was just a kiss after all and then she could go back to ignoring the impossible man. Besides, it wasn't like she hadn't kissed him before.

"One kiss. Then this is over." She said.

"Fine with me."

She walked right up to him and placed a hand on his warm chest. Hot desire pulsated through her body at the contact and she scowled darkly at the involuntary reaction she had to him. Before she could tippy-toe and place a quick kiss to his lips, he put his hand over hers where it rested on his upper body.

"Wait."

"What now, Copeland?" If she didn't do this quickly her newfound courage would surely evaporate.

"None of your silly tricks. I don't want a chaste kiss or a sweet little smack on the lips." At her groan, he continued. "You owe me a real kiss."

She looked around the room assuring herself no one was around and quickly closed her eyes. Shaking off her nerves, she brought her lips to his. She pressed them firmly against his mouth but he did not react, leaving her feeling silly kissing an emotionless Adam. She knew he was punishing her and quickly frustration took over her. She tried deepening the kiss but to avail as his lips remained lifeless. After a few seconds of trying to get a response from him, his lips finally parted which allowed her to shyly stroke his bottom lip with her tongue.

When he groaned Mari hid a smile of triumph. She let her tongue meet his slowly and as always when they kissed, she forgot everything else. He finally kissed her back and Mari moaned as his lips burned hers with an intensity of hot desire. Her hands travelled from his chest to the back of his neck and she held on to him as their tongues clashed energetically. She came up gasping for air as they broke the kiss and Adam's mouth quickly found the softness of her neck. His hand found the curve of her breast and instantly her nipples hardened at the touch. She didn't understand how he affected her the way he did, but when he was touching her nothing else mattered. His mouth covered her swollen lips and she moaned into him when his fingers teased her nipples over the fabric of her shirt. He quickly opened her buttoned blouse and groaned when her breasts were released from her bra.

"You're so fucking sexy." He whispered into her mouth and his hands continued to explore her soft skin.

When his mouth covered a hard nub, Mari threw her head back at the sensation. His tongue circled her nipple and he flicked it once, twice, as her fingernails dug deeper in his shoulder.

It did not take long before Adam had Mari whimpering in pleasure. She arched her back giving him more skin to explore and he took the opportunity to unclasp his leather belt.

"W-wait." She said.

"What's wrong?" He asked concerned.

"Not here. Let's go somewhere else."

"My place or yours?"

* * *

"We shouldn't be doing this, Adam." She stood from the bed and wrapped a thin cover around her body. "I'm a professional and if people found out about us I would lose any credibility I've gained in the last couple of weeks. I'll admit, you're _really_ good. But this was the last time. Last night shouldn't have happened and…"

"You're right." He interrupted.

"I-I am?"

"Yeah, I understand that you're scared to have fun and I wouldn't want to push any kind of excitement into your life." He goaded.

"That's not what I…"

He continued. "Besides, you probably want someone safe like Chuck. He would never ruin your credibility."

"Charles, and no I don't… I just don't think you are right for me." She replied angrily.

"No of course not." He stood up from the bed and she blushed at his naked body. Adam walked around the bed and quickly gathered his clothes, throwing on his jeans first. He proceeded to carefully put his shirt on and jacket. Wrapping a band around his hair he quickly scanned the room for any other scattered items. "I won't bother you anymore."

"Why are you so angry?" She asked confused.

"I'm not!" He replied curtly. "I'm honoring your wish and getting out of here."

"I just think this will end badly so I'm trying to save us both the hassle…"

"Why do you always do that?" He cut in. "You are making a decision for both of us when maybe we're not such a bad idea. I've been with a lot of women, Mari…"

"I'm sure you have."

He sighed. "I've been with a lot of women and I've never experienced the pleasure I share with you. We have something special and guess what, I don't like you any more then you do me but this… you and me, what we have is special. But I get it… you're a professional and all that…"

She stared at him.

"I don't even know why I am letting you get to me. That's all you do, drive me crazy. You hit my every nerve, Marianne… but all I want is to go over there and kiss that delicious mouth of yours."

"I-I… "

"Nothing to say? That's a surprise, you always have a comeback."

She bit her lip. She was surprised at his response; she had expected him to be nonchalant or even flirty but not angry.

"Why are you even doing this job, Mari? Aren't you a mighty lawyer with a mighty Harvard degree? "

Heat traveled to her cheeks. "I worked really hard for that degree!"

"I'm sure you did. 'All-Work-And-No-Play-Marianne,' isn't that what they call you?"

"You're a dick!" She replied, adrenaline rushing to her body from the confrontation.

"Ah, there's the smart-mouth. Knew it was there all along."

"I don't understand why you're being so hostile. You got what you wanted. I kissed you and then I let you have sex with me…"

"Oh! You let me have sex with you?" He laughed darkly. "Thank you so much! But I think you are mistaken, again, because we didn't have sex last night."

"What…?" She started.

"Last night I didn't fuck you, I… _we_ made love. It wasn't me just taking you from behind like a wild animal in heat.

Mari blushed at his descriptive words. "You gave me as much as I gave you and if I recall, I had you begging for more quite a few times."

"That's enough, Adam. I get it. You regret it."

His eyes widened. "Ah! You are such a woman! I don't regret it, _you_ regret it and _you_ are the one making this into something it's not. A mistake. Look I'm going to go. You've already decided for both of us that this was wrong anyways."

He picked up his cell phone and walked to the door.

"Adam, wait…"

"I'll see you in Topeka." He walked out, the door slamming behind him.

Mari walked back to the bed and laid down, curling herself into a ball. She closed her eyelids tightly as a wave of tears rushed to her eyes. She didn't understand why her latest fight with Adam had upset her so much, but as she cried she realized it was because she had real feelings for him. Over the last couple of weeks she had grown to like him more than she had expected but he truly hated her now and it was all her fault for pushing him away. As new tears sprang forth Marianne bit her lower lip. It was too late now, anything she had with Adam was done for good.


	22. Special Request

"Sit down, Adam." Vince said.

The CEO had flown in for the Smackdown taping in Topeka and had asked to speak to Adam after the show. The last time Vince had wanted to talk to him personally was just a few weeks ago when he told Adam he would be moving from Raw to Smackdown to keep ratings high while the Undertaker was recovering from injuries. He had no idea what Vince wanted but was curious to find out, especially if he had bothered to come to Topeka.

"That was a good match with Swagger tonight."

"Thank you, sir." Adam responded.

"Listen, I'll get to the point." He said, sitting down. "Mark was supposed to do a conference for me this week. He's not well and I need a veteran for the job. It's very important I have a professional and well-known star to make things go as smoothly as possible."

"What kind of conference?" Adam asked.

"I've been trying to break a deal with a family-oriented network in Europe and they are holding a long-week convention for all their partners and the WWE has been invited to attend. Its a few days of mingling and polite conversation, maybe show up to some of their fundraising shows…"

"That sounds fine with me, but I'm doing house shows all week."

Vince waved his hand. "I'll get those matches covered. You'll get to relax for most of the time and as long as you make a few appearances everybody is happy."

"Great. Where is it?"

"Surprisingly not in the United Kingdom, they've rented a large manor in New Zealand. I'll cover your flight and expenses during the trip, but they will set you up and the other guests at the house. Here it is, Richmond Hall Manor."

Adam took a file from Vince and looked at the Georgian-style mansion. "It's very nice."

"So you'll do it?" He asked.

"Of course." Adam said, stretching his legs. "Sounds easy."

"Great. I'll meet you in New Zealand in about five days. I'll be there for the gala on Sunday. Oh and bring a tuxedo, will you?"

Adam laughed. "Sure boss."

They went over the details and excitement crept over Adam. This seemed like an extremely lucky break for him. It was practically a paid vacation and who could resist that? Adam had wanted some space anyways and this was the perfect opportunity to get that. After Mari turned him away again, something in him snapped. He rarely let anger rule him but in this case, he had marveled in it. He hadn't even been that upset with her, he knew she would do something silly like kick him out of bed. He had felt anger towards himself. He played a game with Mari and in the end he had only set himself up for disappointment. She would never be with a guy she clearly despised even if they were compatible in bed. He had for the first time felt real frustration at the thought of her turning him away for good and did what he could only think to do: end the game before anyone got really hurt.

"So when do I leave?" Adam asked his boss.

"You leave tomorrow morning. You'll arrive Thursday morning and I'll need you back by the next taping so you'll have to return next Monday." There was a knock at the door and Vince responded. "Come in."

Adam watched none other than Marianne poke her pretty little head inside the door. "You called me, Vince?"

"Yes Marianne, I wanted to give you all the documents for the trip this week before you leave tomorrow morning. I guess this is a good time to show you Mark's replacement. Adam, you know Marianne of course."

He grimaced. "Of course. Hello."

"Um, hello. Wait, what? Mark isn't going to the conference?" He watched her wrinkle her nose in confusion.

"After some thinking I've decided to allow Mark some rest and it's better that he doesn't travel extensively for a while. Besides, Adam is a much better spokesperson."

"Thank you, sir." He said distractedly.

Adam was thinking about what this new bit of information meant; He and Mari would be travelling to New Zealand tomorrow for a long weekend of soirees, dinners and social events. Until the gala on Sunday it would be just the two of them and this could mean danger for him. Or his heart.

"I'll let you guys talk it out. Marianne you have the company card, spare no expense." He nodded his head and walked towards the door. "Have a safe flight."

"See you Sunday." Mari said perplexed.

"Good night."

"Well this is going to be awkward." Mari said.

This was the first time they spoke since he left her apartment almost forty-eight hours earlier. He walked over to the table and motioned for her to sit down beside him. They sat in silence for a few minutes and Adam watched as different emotions crossed her face. She looked lovely tonight in her suit pants and silky blouse. Her auburn hair was tucked back but a few wild strands framed her face and Adam had the urge to touch them.

"Let's try and make the best of it." He said.

She crossed her legs. "What do you suggest?"

"Let's call a truce for the next couple of days. No fighting."

"No fighting." She repeated.

"I'll behave myself… I mean I won't, well you know." He said smiling softly.

"Right, no. Me too, I won't…. you know."

"It will be just two friendly co-workers getting along in New Zealand."

"Right. It will be uh, fun." She said.

"Well I better go pack. What time do we leave tomorrow?" He asked her.

"We have to be at the airport at eleven a.m. and the flight to Auckland is at two."

"Do you want to split one of those limo cabs to the airport?"

She smiled. "Sure. As long as we both agree to it, I am game. I wouldn't want to make any decisions for you. Oh and you better tell me what kind of seats you want, I don't want to make anything into something it's not and get you middle row seats..."

He smiled back. "Touché. I was waiting for you to throw my words back at me."

"I know we agreed on no fighting but if I didn't get that out now I would have later." Adam laughed. "That's fine. I can handle passive aggressive women."

"Oh yeah, you did say you've been with a lot of women."

"You're good." He said with a grin. "Alright get it all out now."

"That's all, I'm quite done."

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Who knows, I'm such a _woman_ after all." She grinned "Okay, now I am done."

"Kitty has claws, doesn't she?" He said playfully.

"I'll see you outside your hotel at ten-thirty tomorrow; bring social and biz-caj clothes. If you don't have any with you, Vince is going to cover it.

Adam frowned. "What the hell is biz-caj?"

"Business Casual. Don't worry; I'll let my 'all-work-no-play' Harvard degree work for both of us this week."

"You're killing me, sweetheart."

Marianne laughed and with a turn she walked out of the Topeka arena office. Adam sat back down and drummed his fingers on the table as he thought about his upcoming weekend. He would be spending a lot of time with Marianne; he just had to decide whether that was a good thing or bad.


	23. Richmond Hall

Someone was gently shaking Marianne and for the life of her she couldn't figure out why. It felt like she had finally gotten comfortable too, and so she grudgingly turned away from the hand.

"Excuse-me, ma'am?"

Mari opened an eye and upon seeing the flight attendant she quickly sat up. "Is everything OK?"

"Yes, I apologize for disturbing you. We're landing soon and we need everybody's seats up and seat-belts on."

"Of course."

"Will you let your husband know as well?" Mari looked over to the sleeping Adam who had taken the window seat and she shook her head.

"He's not my husband, but I will let him know."

"Thank you." The flight attendant walked away and started talking to someone else on the airplane.

"Adam. Wake up." She poked his arm softly until he came to wake.

"Jesus, is everything OK?" He asked alarmed.

"Everything is fine." She watched him close the window blinds. "We're landing soon."

"Great, can't wait to get out of this plane. God it feels like we've been here forever."

"Don't remind me. Fifteen hours on a bloody airplane. And to make it worse, New Zealand has an eighteen hour time difference. We've lost an entire day, by the time we arrive at Richmond Hall it will be almost eleven at night."

His eyes widened. "Wait. We left Wednesday morning and we're arriving Thursday night?"

"Yeah."

"Why did I agree to this?" He asked jokingly.

The plane gave a small bounce. "Oh dear God. After fifteen hours, we're going to die. This is why I hate airplanes."

Adam chuckled. "You chose the wrong career. I guess I did too."

Marianne grasped the arm of her seat as the airplane went through a bit of turbulence. "I forgot - you don't like flying either."

An announcement went on confirming the landing and Marianne closed her eyes tightly. The seat-belt light went on and everyone straightened in their seats as the captain prepared to land in Auckland, New Zealand. She was clutching at the seat when Adam suddenly grabbed her hand. He opened her palm and traced the lines within them with the tip of his finger, causing her to instinctively relax.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He looked up at her. "Distracting you."

"You do that all the time." She said with a soft smile. She watched him play with the patterns of her skin and temporarily forgot where she was. With a thud, it came back. "Oh, we've landed."

Mari withdrew her hand but the sensation of his fingers lingered on her palm. Warmth crept to her cheeks as she remembered the last time his hands were on her. She grabbed her carry-on and the two slowly made their way through customs.

* * *

"Hi, I'm Carla. Welcome to Richmond Hall! I'll be your site contact should you need anything while you are here." The young British woman guided the two through the property grounds and paused effective in front of the beautiful mansion. "Since I just checked in the Japanese ambassador alongside his wife, then you must be our very last guests. Michelle and Mark?"

Adam and Marianne stared at each other dumbly before turning back to the friendly blond woman.

"I uh – "

"No, we're not…"

Carla blanched. "You're not with the WWE?"

"No, we are!" Marianne said.

"Yes, we're definitely with the WWE."

Carla frowned. "I'm confused. Are you not, uh, the Undertaker and Michelle McCool?"

"Mark was originally supposed to attend but he's been injured. I believe Vince McMahon contacted Mr. Connolly with the changes. This is Adam Copeland – or as he is famously known as – Edge."

Adam shook hands with Carla. "Pleasure."

"And I'm Marianne Tobey, I'm here to assist Adam."

Carla exhaled. "Oh dear. Mr. Connolly did not tell me of the changes. Oh no, this isn't good, no, it's not good."

Marianne and Adam exchanged looks. "Carla, I'm sure it's no big deal."

"This is my first week and I'm already going to get fired." She sat down on a bench outside the beautiful manor.

"You're not going to get fired?" Adam said, a bit unsure.

"I only have one room left here. Once Connolly finds out, I'll be sent packing for sure!"

Marianne paused. "Well, Adam can stay here. I don't mind getting a suite in a hotel nearby."

Carla groaned louder. "All the hotels are booked. I put all the extra guests in the two hotels outside of the manor. We're two hours away from Auckland and you can probably tell, there's less in New Zealand then countryside England. How am I supposed to work like this?"

"Uh. This is a predicament." Marianne said.

"And it's almost midnight, you must be exhausted! I've got it! One of you can stay in my room! It's not very fancy but it will do until I can figure something out tomorrow morning." Carla said as she walked in circles.

"Carla. Carla!" The woman finally stopped.

"Hmm?"

"Where will you sleep?" Mari asked.

"Oh no, I won't. I'll uh… monitor the grounds and sleep tomorrow… at some time."

Mari grabbed her hand. "Look, you've checked in the last guests. Go to bed. Me and Adam will share the room. No one needs to know and your position will be fine."

Suddenly Carla looked extremely tired. "What, really?"

"Yeah, we're pals, right Adam?"

Adam smiled darkly. "We're very close."

Marianne narrowed her eyes at Adam but continued talking to the young blond woman. "I'll take the bed, he'll take the floor. We'll be fine."

She blinked up at the two. "Are you sure?"

"I'm not taking the floor." Adam said.

"Yes you are." She said poking him. "We're sure, Carla."

"Well, let me lead the way." Carla opened the doors to the beautiful manor and her two guests gasped at the beautiful sight. Inside were elegant pillars and a grand staircase leading to the prestigious second floors. Hanging above them in the main hall was a sparkling chandelier to die for. It reminded Mari of the candle-lit chandelier from the _Phantom of the Opera._ This place wasn't just a manor, it was a breathtaking mansion fit for a king with never-ending green grounds surrounding it warmly. She marveled at the paintings hanging on the staircase wall. They walked down a hall on the second floor and after a few minutes Marianne was already lost.

Carla opened a beautiful heavy oak door with gold trimming. "Here is your bedroom."

With a beautiful bay window and soft ivory curtains the room was delightful to look at. The queen-sized bed lay in the middle of the room and to the left there seemed to be a beautiful en-suite. When Marianne noticed the fireplace she gasped.

"Does it work?" She asked Carla.

"Yes, and you're lucky. They've remodeled this one to electronic but some rooms need actual wood. You just turn the knob, and voila." A warm fire started and Mari almost sighed with ecstasy.

"This is amazing." She said.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Breakfast tomorrow is at ten a.m. sharp. I'll see you there. And Mari, Adam… thank you so much." Carla closed the door behind her leaving the two alone in the beautiful suite.

"Adam look at this room! It's incredible!" She said gleefully.

"Beautiful." When she looked at him he wasn't staring at the room, but directly at her.

"Is everything OK?" She asked.

"Everything is great… but I'm not sleeping on the floor."


	24. Breakfast

There was a soft knock on the door and Marianne left the bathroom to see who it was. It was just past nine in the morning and when Mari had awoken she had been sprawled on the bed alone. After arriving very late and finding out there was only one bedroom available, Mari and Adam had concluded they would have to share. A few days prior they had agreed on no more fighting or…well, _that_, so falling asleep next to Adam had been quite difficult. She turned and tossed all night and at one point she must have fallen asleep because she had jolted awake by the alarm she had set. Adam had been nowhere to be found.

She opened the lovely oak door and came to face with the man himself. "There you are."

Adam was standing in front of her with jogging pants and a sweat-soaked shirt. He nodded as he walked past her, grabbing a towel from the settee.

"You know you talk in your sleep?" He said breaking his silence.

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do. And you kick."

Mari sat down on the bed. "If you had slept on the floor like we agreed on I wouldn't have kicked. Where did you go?"

He threw his shirt to the floor and Mari looked away, blushing. "Jogging. God it's beautiful here, we should go for a run later. I liked sleeping beside you… we never really got to sleeping before."

"Uh, I don't run." She said.

"We'll walk. There are tons of mountains here, did you know that? I didn't notice in the dark. I'm going to jump in the shower before breakfast, want to join me?"

Mari snorted. "I've showered thanks. I'm going to continue getting ready. Hurry, will you?"

"Your loss, baby."

He shut the bathroom door and within a few minutes Mari heard the water running. She walked over to the Victorian vanity mirror hanging on the wall and quickly applied some light make up on. When she awoke without Adam she had assumed he was snooping around but she hadn't expected him to venture out into the grounds alone.

"Silly man." She muttered.

When her stomach grumbled loudly Mari realized how hungry she really way. She didn't know what to expect from breakfast but she was looking forward to food – lots of food. Adam strolled out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and Mari quickly turned her eyes when a need for him warmed her insides.

She cleared her throat. "I'm hungry."

"I've got something to satisfy you."

Her eyes widened in shock and she turned around to stare at him. "What did you say?"

"Granola bars." He said pointing to the snacks on the counter. "Carla snuck me them this morning. She was already awake at six."

"Oh. You woke up at six?" She asked surprised.

He shrugged. "I'm used to not sleeping a lot and I found myself unable to get comfortable last night."

"Oh, sorry."

"No, it was all me. Jeans or Suit?" He asked.

"Suit pants with a casual shirt."

"Oh yeah, '_Biz Caj_'… How exciting." He teased.

"Ten to. Let's go eat breakfast with these people."

* * *

"Oh my… this is extravagant!" Mari and Adam walked into the dining room which was set up eloquently with full catering tables and various different spreads. An equipped serving staff was on top of coffee and tea as they filled the guests' teacups. Carla approached them with a smile.

"Good morning, I assume you had a good night's rest?" She asked and both nodded. "Follow me, I'll show you to your seats."

They walked around the long dining table to one of the smaller tables that were spread along the room. Theirs was by a beautiful bay window facing the grounds and seated were a young couple that Mari politely introduced herself to.

"Hi, I'm Mari and this is Adam Copeland."

"Bonjour! We are Andre and Juliette. We are 'ere with Canalsat, a television network from France. You are Edge, non? From the WWE?"

Adam shook their hands. "Yes I am. Pleasure to meet you."

"We 'ave been here two days. It is magical." Andre said.

"As you can see you'll find scones and breads on the east table, alongside the best marmalade and jam found in New Zealand. The west table is of course your liquids." Carla said. "You'll find juices, milks, champagne and the serving staff is coming around with coffee and tea."

"Wow, Carla! This is almost too much!" Mari said in awe.

Juliette giggled. "Oui! But there is still the three-course meal coming."

Adam stared at Juliette. "What?"

"Yes." Carla confirmed. "Today the first course will be the Chef's poached pears stuffed with light cream cheese and simmered in champagne."

Mari's mouth opened. "That's your first course?"

Carla smiled. "The second course is the Chef's favorite: Asiago cheese and mushroom omelettes with lightly fried Canadian bacon. Your last course will be freshly made strawberry waffles with maple syrup and assorted fruits."

Adam put his napkin down. "You're blowing my mind here. So let me get this straight… You serve this breakfast every day?"

Carla looked appalled. "Oh no!"

"Alright, I didn't think so…" Adam started.

"There's a different menu every day." Carla said proudly.

Mari was dumbfounded and when she looked at the French pair, they only nodded with a '_Yes, this is real'_ look on their faces.

"Yeah, Carla, you're overwhelming me, so I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Adam said. When she stammered Adam continued. "No, go, that's right, walk away. Yes, leave."

Carla walked away grinning and shouted back to the table, "Lunch is at two!"

Coffee was poured for Marianne and Adam filled himself a glass of orange juice. Mari put two teaspoons of sugar and was adding cream when the first course arrived. The four people moaned in ecstasy as they bit into the first dish. The pears were poached to perfection and the cream cheese melted from the sides.

"Yesterday we received smoked salmon and eggs Benedict for the first course." Andre said, filling his mouth with another bite.

"Jesus." Adam said. "Mari, we hit the gold pot."

After breakfast Mari attended a theatrical conference set up by Mr. Connolly for a new channel he was building for his network. Adam sat beside her and repeatedly whispered his thoughts on each of the speakers.

"He's secretly in love with himself, but he doesn't know it yet."

She swatted him. "Shush."

"Oh and prim and proper over there is really a crazy kinky ride in bed."

"Adam, pay attention!"

He leaned in with another whisper, "Just like you."

Mari pretended to look offended. "Stop it."

"Do we have to stay here? This is so boring."

"Vince asked us to do a few things. It was either this or a music recital with the ambassadors."

"This would be better." He agreed. "But it still sucks. I'd rather listen to Ron rap about getting crunk."

"Yeah hey, I have a question about that…" she said in a hushed voice.

"What?"

"Doesn't crunk mean to get chronic high and drunk? Or was it 'crazy drunk'?" She asked.

When Adam laughed someone gave a low '_shh_.' "I don't think Vince knows that. He thinks it's a hip hop term. Let's get out of here Mari, we're in New Zealand!"

"We shouldn't." She murmured.

"Come on, I have an idea." He grabbed her wrist and quickly snuck them out of the conference room. "Ah freedom!"

"What's your idea?" She asked with a smile.

"You'll see."

* * *

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. You guys are DA best. :)**

**also - what should Adam's idea be? **

**LBoogieV**


	25. Bellona, Jack & Dionysus

He grabbed her hand and led her down the elegant hallway towards the main foyer. She was giggling behind him and Adam grinned at the sound. He tightened his hold on her hand and cut around the corner as the hallway came to its end. When she shrieked, Adam picked up speed and dashed into an open door into the out-of-bounds kitchen.

Startled maids jumped when the two ran through Richmond Hall's grand cooking room and Adam heard the clatter of a pan crashing to the floor.

"Sorry, pardon us, excuse me." He said as he cut through the room.

They exited the kitchen and Mari's face flushed with laughter. Adam stared at her as they paused to catch their breath underneath the stair case.

"Come on, let's go."

They ran up the stairs to the second floor and when a door opened down the hall, Adam grabbed Mari urgently and pushed her towards a little janitorial closet. He squeezed in, closing the door behind him.

"Shh, we can't be seen." He whispered in her ear.

Adam could hear footsteps in the hallway walking past the little closet but he dismissed it. He was in a tight confinement with Marianne and he could smell the lavender on her skin and feel her breath on his neck.

"Do you think they're gone?" She said in a hushed tone.

"Not yet." He swallowed. He wanted to kiss her so badly. "OK, they're gone."

He opened the door and peeked into the empty hallway. "Let's go."

"Adam, where are we going?" She asked.

"To our room, hurry!"

When Mari slipped out of his grip he stopped and turned around. She had her hands on her waist and was staring him down. "What are you up to?"

"Come on Mari, don't lose faith on me now." He said with a smile.

She raised an eyebrow. "Our room? I thought we were going to do something fun."

"There are a lot of fun things to be done in a bedroom, princess." He said innocently. "But we aren't staying in our room. Trust me."

She watched him for a moment and nodded. "Alright."

They walked into their bedroom and Adam grabbed a pair of comfortable jeans and a Rated R Superstar shirt from his luggage. He walked towards the bathroom but not before he motioned to her bag. "Put something comfortable on."

"Slip something more comfortable on?" She repeated, still suspicious.

"Jeans, woman. Not nakedness. And hurry." He shut the door to the bathroom and quickly changed from his business casual clothes to his adventure casual clothes. He grinned and he buckled his belt. He planned on having some fun in New Zealand with Marianne, and not even she would stop him from achieving that.

"You ready?" He asked through the closed door.

He heard her mumbled reply. "Almost."

Adam returned to the sink mirror and grabbed one of Mari's hair ties, binding his hair back. He splashed come cold water on his face and patted it dry with a soft towel. "Now?"

"Yes I'm ready!" He opened the door to find Mari in cute denim jeans and a dark green cardigan.

"Perfect." He said, meaning _her_. "Let's go."

* * *

They walked out into the beaming New Zealand sun and Adam led her towards a small forest behind the manor grounds. Marianne was glad she wore her cardigan as a strong breeze wisped over her. She picked up her pace to follow Adam deeper into the grounds and smiled when a bird flew over her head.

"Where are you leading me, O Adventurer?" She asked her guide.

"When I was running earlier I came across a stable." He said.

"A stale?"

"You know – a building for domestic farm animals?"

She rolled her eyes. "I know what a stable is. Smartass."

"Well, this stable houses horses."

Her eyes widened as Mari didn't particularly like horses. "Horses?"

"You know – Mammal, long mane…" Adam laughed when she slapped his shoulder. "Alright, alright. I talked to the groundskeeper and he said we could go for a ride today if we wanted."

"No way." She said, stopping in her tracks. "I'm not riding any beast."

"Come on, Marianne, are you afraid it's going to bite you?"

"No, I'm afraid it's going to throw me off or land on me and break my leg!" She said.

"You're not going to get a wild horse, Mr. Tarvey will probably give you a sweet little mare. I want a stallion!" He continued to walk and she followed suit.

"Do you even know what you're talking about?" Mari asked incredulously.

"No, I don't. But that doesn't change the fact that Mr. Tarvey does." Adam said with a straight face.

They paused at the clearing and Marianne could see a beautiful barn alongside two elegant stables. "Who is Mr. Tarvey?"

"A man, human species I think." When she raised her eyebrow, he shrugged. "The groundskeeper. I've told you this already. Keep up."

Adam continued walking and when they reached the stables she saw a short balding man who she presumed to be the infamous Mr. Tarvey. Adam approached him and the two shook hands. He looked over at her and Mari smiled.

"Marianne Tobey, sir."

He beamed. "Hello little lady. Are you here to ride one of my horses?"

"I'd like to see them, I don't think I'm brave enough to ride them."

Adam stage whispered to the older man, "She thinks they are beasts."

He nodded. "Just like my wife. Well I'll show you my collection and maybe I can persuade you to change your mind. Took me a couple of months to convince Mrs. Tarvey so I can't promise you anything."

Adam laughed. "Well, we'll take it one step at a time."

He introduced them to each of the thirteen horses and although Mari was hesitant at first, she marveled at the beautiful animals. She noticed they all shared one trait and that was kind eyes. She could gaze forever into the eyes of one gray beast in particular.

"Ah that's Bellona, my favorite mare." Mr. Tarvey said.

"She's incredibly beautiful. Is she gentle?" Mari asked shyly as she wanted to pet her.

"Pfft. That old bird is nothing but gentle. When I first got her thirteen years ago she was a rebellious coot that nearly bit my hand off, so I named her after the Roman goddess of war. We butted heads for weeks until I found out her weakness."

Mari gasped. "What was it?"

Mr. Tarvey cleared his throat. "Carrots."

"Carrots?"

He paused. "Well, you know… long orange vegetable, grows in the ground… "

"Yes, Mr. Tarvey, I know what a carrot is. "

She shook her head at Adam's peal of laughter as he bent over with it. Quickly the two joined in the joke, laughing gleefully in the middle of the stable. Adam leaned on a wooden pillar and wiped fake tears from his eyes.

"Well, would you like to feed dear Bellona a carrot? She'll love you forever."

Mari clapped her hands. "May I?"

He walked towards the front of the stable and grabbed a container from the ledge. He offered each a carrot and Bellona's attention diverted to the three people. Her ears flickered and she moved her head above the wooden gate curiously towards them.

"My girl knows what she likes. Here Marianne, approach her carefully and slowly raise your arm."

Mari looked at Adam unsure and he encouraged her with a nod. "Don't lose courage now, princess."

She offered Bellona the juicy vegetable and she took it, munching on it happily. Mari raised her hand and put it on her soft nose. She gently stroked the gray horse and Bellona's eyelashes batted at her causing Mari to giggle.

"Well, let's ride!" Adam said.

"Deary?" Mr. Tarvey asked.

"Let's do it." She said confidently.

The groundskeeper led Bellona out as well as a black horse named Jack and a horse with a golden coat named after the God of wine and pleasure, Dionysus.

He saddled up the three quickly and explained to Mari and Adam how to guide their horses. "They're pretty easy to lead and will most likely just follow my lead but if you wish to stop, pull slightly at the cord here," he said pointing to the ropes connecting to the saddle. "If you want to speed up just tap his side or say 'run.' They know what to do so you can easily just not do anything, they will lead you right."

He led his own horse out first, Dionysus, and quickly saddled up, demonstrating how to do it. Adam followed suit on Jack and she glanced up at his smiling figure. She smiled back bravely and approached Bellona. Putting her left foot on the stirrup, she pushed herself up and mounted her grey mare easily. When she started to move Mari gripped her saddle for dear life but it was just moments to realize nothing bad was going to happen. She relaxed in her seat and followed Adam and Mr. Tarvey happily, looking around in the beautiful scenery. Tomorrow was their last day and the gala ball, but until then she was going to have fun with her new friend.

"Over there beyond those trees is where they filmed a lot of the second Lord of the Rings movie." Mr. Tarvey said.

"Wow, that's beautiful." She said in awe. Ahead was a beautiful green field stretching out to tall mountains in the horizon. She looked over at Adam and he was staring at her with a funny look in his eyes that she couldn't describe.

They rode to the water stream where they dismounted and explored. They listened to the older man share tales of the land and ooh'd when it got interesting. They also enjoyed the beautiful Saturday morning without bickering, to which Mari would say was the most significant. As lunch approached, they headed back towards the manor and Marianne was delighted with Adam's idea of going horseback riding. They thanked the groundskeeper and Marianne waved goodbye to Bellona.

"Bye Mr. Tarvey, thank you so much!" She said.

He waved back happily. "You two call me by my first name, now, it's Harvey! Come back soon guys!"

"Bye Harvey!" Adam said and they watched the man disappear into the stable.

They walked a few paces towards the manor when Mari let out a soft snicker. Adam shushed her and they picked up their pace. Laughter was nearly exploding out of her by the time they made a good distance from the stables. Adam threw his head back and laughed loudly as Mari joined in. By the end of their fit, Mari was clutching her side from laughing so hard.

"Harvey Tarvey!" She said in mid-laugh and Adam guffawed again.

"Oh man, I'm glad he didn't tell me that earlier, I wouldn't have been able to talk to him with a straight face."

"Me neither!" She said still giggling. "Oh man. It's almost lunch time, we better change."

"You're right. Who would have guessed… Harvey Tarvey. It's almost cruel." Adam said and Mari started to laugh again. "You have something in your hair."

She paused in front of him and he put his fingers on her hair, carefully removing a little leaf. He kept his hand there beside her face and wrapped a finger around a strand of her hair.

"So soft." He murmured.

Mari stopped laughing. "I had a lot of fun with you."

"Me too."

Adam put his hand down and walked away from Mari. He opened the front door of the manor and Marianne walked through, thanking him. She had hoped he would have kissed her as they shared that moment and was disappointed when he broke contact. She had made him agree to no moves on her, so she should be happy he is respecting her wishes, but still…

She followed him up the stairs and smiled when he whispered Mr. Tarvey's name with a chuckle.


	26. Carla

After a luxurious and satisfying lunch, Marianne and Adam remained true to their promise to Vince and diligently partook in the meetings and planned events of the conference. Adam participated in a sports entertainment _Q&A_ segment alongside British footballer Joe Hart and cricket player Matthew Haggard.

The taping crew was extremely mesmerized at Adam's professionalism and expertise with answering questions both eloquently and with certainty. The three men worked well together and the media swooned with excitement. Marianne understood why Vince wanted this partnership to work; she too was impressed at how the network operated. Plus on top of being a well-oiled machine, they were family-friendly which was a must have for the WWE.

Afterwards she accompanied Adam to a little Hors d'œuvre party with attendants from the Media and CEO's of television production companies. They mingled amidst the crowd and often separated in different conversations. Adam was approached by the young soccer player Joe Hart, a fan of wrestling and the two got into a relaxing conversation about the industry. Marianne was waved over by Carla and the British woman caught up with her. They chatted about the great success of the entire day and Mari congratulated Carla on a fantastic job on the event planning. The woman was incredible at her job and she didn't think the network fully appreciated her. The menus alone were worth her full salary. At lunch they had a wonderful pea soup with freshly baked bread and red-onion marmalade. The main entrée: a steak, Guinness and Mushroom pie too heavenly to describe. Her favorite part (as she even had Adam's portion) had been the dessert. The sherry trifle. It was made with vanilla custard, cherries and a layer of spongy cake - soaked in sherry. Carla afterwards told her the trifle was her favorite of the traditional British desserts and she wholeheartedly agreed.

She met Adam's gaze across the room and she smiled at him. He was still talking to Joe Hart but his eyes were focused on her. Something about his expression sent shivers down her spine and Marianne looked away, breaking contact.  
She refocused on Carla and it wasn't until they were getting ready to wrap up that she joined Adam again. He walked towards her lazily and she smiled.

"All talked out?" She asked him.

"Not yet. How are _you _doing?"

"I'm great! This has been really fun." Mari put a glass of champagne down. "But I am dying for a shower and a change of clothes."

He looked her up and down. "You look great to me."

"You don't look so bad yourself, Mr. Copeland." Adam had switched back to his grey suit pants and adorned a nice navy and beige argyle sweater.

"What can I say, I have a great personal dresser. A bit of a tyrant but she knows what she's doing."

She lightly swatted his arm. "Well she's obviously very good if she got you to wear a cashmere sweater."

"Absolutely, I really wouldn't be able to stand her if she didn't have impeccable taste in men's clothing.

"She must be really annoying." Mari said.

He nodded sadly. "Worse. She's got a quick tongue. I can never win an argument."

"I'm sure you do your best."

"Yeah, I guess I do. She's been nice to be the whole day."

She raised her eyebrows. "With your personality? She's a keeper."

"She is." He said softly.

"Mr. Copeland, hello love, how are you enjoying yourself?" Carla asked as she approached them.

"Carla! My mother would go crazy for that British accent of yours. Or for anyone here in New Zealand actually."

"Well if your mother is as dear as you then I would be more than happy to chat with her!" She replied.

Mari frowned slightly as she watched the two banter wittily with one another. Were they flirting? Or even worse, was Adam already over Marianne? The English miss was lovely with her naturally blond hair and beautiful sky-blue eyes. As Mari recalled, they did seem to flirt during breakfast as well. M_aybe Adam really did like her_, she thought. He hadn't attempted anything with Mari during the horseback riding and neither at lunch or the _Q&A_. Strange thoughts circled her mind and Mari swallowed when she realized the was jealous of Carla.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said to the two. "Dinner is in an hour and I'd love to have a shower before. I'll catch up with you guys soon."

Before they could respond Mari walked away, leaving the elegant room to find her own quarters. She walked into the room she was sharing with Adam and sat down on the bed with new exhaustion. She removed the pins from her hair and let the auburn locks fall loosely around her shoulders. Sighing heavily, she walked over to her suitcase and pulled out a chic silky dress. It was a lovely dark hue of blue and it flowed around her body to her knees, complimenting her skin and hair. If not for the knotted straps closing around her neck, her dress would look virtually strapless from the back. She set it aside for dinner and placed her Christian Louboutin navy heels beside them. There was a soft knock on the door and then Adam was inside the room.

"Hey." He said.

She nodded her head, acknowledging him. "Hi."

"What's going on?"

"Just getting ready for dinner. There will be a lovely manor-side bonfire after dinner with a New Zealand band, so I am hoping there will be some dancing. Carla was telling me about a carriage-ride of the grounds at midnight. She's arranged for Mr. Tarvey to lead the guests in an enchanted ride alongside the woods down to the water and back." Marianne was babbling but she couldn't seem to stop herself.

"That sounds amazing." Adam said. "Carla has the craziest imagination. I don't know how she does it; I'm just excited to see what she planned for tomorrow's big gala."

"Hmm. Yeah, she's fantastic." Mari mumbled.

"Speaking of the gala, Vince will be here with Linda tomorrow afternoon."

"That's right." Mari said nonchalant.

"Alright, what's the matter?" He asked.

"Hmm?"

"You were happy all day and now you're acting the way you do when you're mad at me. Did something happen? Someone say something to you? Tell me, I will take care of it!" He said with a frown.

"Nothing's wrong, Adam." She replied. "I'm sorry, I am just a little bit tired."

"Well, go take a hot shower, relax. We've still got dancing to do and a midnight carriage ride."

She smiled. "You're going to dance with me? I love to dance."

"Yes I remember." He said. "I'm also going to take pictures and send them to Jericho to make him jealous."

"Oh my little dancing bird. I miss him."

Adam scowled at Marianne. "Alright, enough with the lovey-dovey business. He'll be back eventually."

"Going to shower!" she said happily and closed the bathroom door.

* * *

When Mari walked out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, she wore a comfortable bathrobe and a towel wrapped around her hair. Adam was sitting by the bay window on his laptop quickly typing what she would presume to be an e-mail.

"Twittering to your loyal fans?" She asked.

"No…they wish! I don't have twitter. I barely have time as it is and I can't afford to get sucked into another thing. Everyone does say how amazing it is though, so maybe one day." He said, still typing.

"Facebook is enough for me." She said. "By the way, the bathroom is all yours."

"Great. It will only take me 5 minutes to shower. Mari darling, loveliest woman in the entire universe…" He started.

"What do you want?"

"Pick out an outfit for me? We're running late and I would pick jeans."

"Jeans? Have I taught you nothing?" She shook her head. "Fine, but I get your dessert tonight."

"Fine, but I call shotgun in the carriage ride."

She narrowed her eyes. "No."

"Fine, but I…"

She laughed, "Adam, go shower."

When Adam finished Mari was wearing her ocean-dark dress and just finishing the final touches of her makeup. She had chosen not to do anything fancy with her hair, instead just letting it dry naturally and flow over her shoulders. He gave a low whistle and Mari turned to face him with a blush on her cheeks. He had a towel around his waist and was applying lotion to his tattooed arms.

"You look beautiful." He said.

"Thanks. I left you clothes on the bed." She had chosen for him his black suit pants with the gray stripes and a button-up white dress shirt. "It's pretty simple, so you can choose whatever tie you want. Except the…"

"Can I use the Smackdown tie?"

"Except the Smackdown tie." She laughed at his disappointed expression. "For a man with awful taste you sure do have a lot of nice clothes. With the exception of that God-awful tie. I'm getting rid of it."

"Never." He said.

"Too late, I've thrown it out." She said.

"You shut your mouth, woman." He grabbed the clothes and quickly put them on in the bathroom. He was struggling to button up his shirt when he came out and Mari smiled.

"Come here, I'll do it."

"They're small buttons, dammit."

She quickly finished closing his shirt when she realized how close she was standing to Adam. She looked up at his face and blushed when she saw his gaze was fixated on her lips. She fought the urge to lick her lips but instinct was rapidly winning the battle as they remained in the embrace. His mouth lowered and Mari closed her eyes, waiting for his lips to gently land on hers. He kissed her softly and Mari melted. She had been waiting for this all day.

"I want to take you to our bed tonight." He whispered. "After we eat, drink and dance. I want to make love to you."

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Adam, Mari?" Carla asked from behind the door. "You there?"

Mari stepped out of his arms and cleared her throat. "Um. You're all done. Put on a tie, and I'll answer the door. Not the Smackdown tie."

He stared at her hungrily and didn't reply. She walked away from him and answered Carla. "Hi dear, everything ok?"

"Yes, everything is fine, just wanted to let you know you'll be in the south wing for dinner tonight. But most importantly, I had three media members leave so I'm preparing a room for you! You can have it tonight and won't have to share it anymore!"

Mari glanced back at Adam who was tying his cravat and she met his gaze.

"Yes, that's wonderful news Carla. Thanks. We'll uh, meet you downstairs in a few minutes."

"You got it lovelies!" Carla walked away happily.

"Carla found us a second room."


	27. Mr Connolly's Gala

"We're are going to dance, Mari!" Juliette exclaimed!

Mari waved to the French couple as Andre led the lovely woman into the dance floor. The orchestra had just started a lovely classical song and others joined in and swayed to the melodious sounds of the band. If Marianne had been impressed the first two days then the only word to describe what she felt Sunday night was simply awed. The Gala was well underway and she couldn't believe how wonderful everything was. Dinner had been delicious and the guests had been escorted to the Manor's ballroom soon afterwards for mingling and dancing. Mr. Connolly and the network board of directors had given lovely speeches thanking everyone while the orchestra waited to continue their performance. When the music returned couples made their way to the dance floor while others chatted happily.  
Marianne was standing at the back sipping on a glass of red wine as she watched Vince chat with Mr. Connolly and Adam. Her thoughts went back to the previous night and suddenly her spirits were down again.

The night prior, Carla had personally helped Mari move into her own room, as she had felt so bad the two were made to share in the first place. After dinner she had marched Mari up the stairs and took her to her new suite. It was just as lovely as the first one but there seemed to be something missing. Or someone. Carla had bounced away happy she had fixed the one thing she hadn't done perfectly during the week and Mari was left in the room alone. After changing she went downstairs and met Adam, who had been chatting with Carla.

Friday night had been great and filled with fun activities but after sharing that kiss with Adam and moving rooms, Mari was feeling flustered. The carriage ride was delightful; she had partnered up with the French couple she met earlier, Andre and Juliette, and they chatted happily about their days. She noticed Carla had Adam alongside herself and the infamous owner of the network, Mr. Connolly. They strode in the carriage ahead of them and she noticed Adam seemed to be having a great time.

She retired afterwards without saying goodnight and was surprised to see Adam up early and eating breakfast with Mr. Connolly this morning. Impressed by Adam, Connolly kept the Superstar busy throughout the morning and afternoon. When Vince and Linda had arrived they joined Mr. Connolly, leaving her with very little to do.

Mari put down her empty glass and glanced over at Adam again. He was laughing at something Carla said and Vince joined in, like a proud father. Sighing, Mari picked up her shawl and made her way to the beautifully lit courtyard outside. She tightened her shawl when a cold breeze picked up and sat on an empty stone bench. Not many people were outside but she could still hear the faint chatter and music from the party. The night continued and Mari lost track of how long she sat outside.

"Mari?"

She looked around to face Adam who had left the party. Why wasn't he with Vince? "Hey."

"Is everything ok?" He asked.

"Oh yes. Just needed some fresh air. Plus the stars look really beautiful tonight."

"Yeah they do. So do you."

She looked down at her creamy halter top dress and smiled. Linda had brought it for her specifically to wear tonight. It was the fanciest dress she had ever worn and she felt like a red carpet star. It was a creamy beige knee-length gown which complimented her skin color perfectly. In the perfect lighting it sparkled and Mari felt beautiful just at the thought.

"Thank you."

He smiled. "Can I sit down?"

"Sure." She made more room and he placed himself beside her.

"It's our last night; tomorrow we fly back to the U.S." He said matter-of-factly.

"I know. I've been sitting here, trying to think of a way to take Bellona with us."

Adam laughed. "Well, well, look who likes horses now."

"I just like one."

They both laughed and lapsed into a comfortable silence. Mari stared at the sky above her and a feeling of guilt washed over her. Her feelings for Adam were becoming stronger and she had promised herself to stop this game she was playing. Once they got back to work things would resume to usual and she would go back to being the touring manager and him the superstar. She couldn't continue a dalliance with him and if she did,l it might cost her the job. They still hadn't spoken about their kiss before Carla's interruption and she had a feeling it wasn't something Adam would just let her forget. Marianne yawned gently.

"Didn't sleep well last night?"

She stared at him. "No, I did. Just been a long day. Everything with Vince going well?"

He nodded his head. "He's pretty happy with us, it seems. So, you slept well?"

"Yes, didn't you?" She asked, not meeting his gaze.

"Yeah, it was nice not having you kick me."

She smiled. "Cute."

"Are we going to talk about us?" Adam asked abruptly.

"What about us?" She asked innocently.

"Don't make me kiss you again." He said.

Mari laughed. "Alright. Talk."

"I don't want our truce to end."

"You mean you don't like fighting with me? I'm offended."

"That's the thing. I _do_ like fighting with you. I like doing a lot of things with you."

Mari blushed. "You're drunk."

"Tipsy at most. Come, let's go for a stroll." He reached his hand out and Marianne took it with a smile.

* * *

"Another one." Charles said to the bartender.

He was in the same bar he had gone to the next night Marianne had rejected his proposal and he had every intention of getting incredibly drunk again.

"Five Sixty." The man behind the bar said.

Charles passed him a ten dollar bill and told him to keep the change. He took a large gulp of his beer and let his mind wander back to his girlfriend. _Ex-Girlfriend_, he reminded himself.

The foolish woman thought she was superior to him now that she worked for a high-paying circus and nothing could be further from the truth. He was Charles Stockman, highly successful and had above average looks – any woman would be more than happy to be with him. And they had.

He had never stayed loyal to Marianne; he was a man for Christ's sake. He had been with various different women while dating her and now that they weren't together he didn't hesitate to take anyone home. Still, he needed someone acceptable on his arm if he was going to amount to anything in the political world. He needed _Marianne_.

"That bitch!" He said, pounding his fist on the counter.

A few people around him jumped at the sound, startled, but Charles continued drinking his beer without noticing. He had tried contacting her several times and she had not responded once which made him even angrier. He was willing to forgive her for her discrepancies but he would make her beg on her knees. No one made a fool out of a Stockman. He had called her eldest brother to try and get some information on her whereabouts but he had nothing to share with him.

"I will get her back." He vowed. "Sooner or later she'll see she belongs with me."

He chugged back the rest of his pint and slammed the cup down, standing up. He noticed a pretty little redhead earlier and he had every intention of taking her home. He approached the woman and her circle of friends and smiled devilishly.

"Hey." He said.

The blond friend was the first to notice him and she gave him a knowing smile. She was dressed like a whore so he dismissed her, giving his attention back to the redhead.

"What's your name?" He asked her.

"P-Patty." She said nervously. _Good_, Charles thought, he liked a weak woman.

"What do I have to do to take you home, Patty?" He asked with arrogance.

"I-I'm sorry?"

The blond woman interjected. "Don't worry about Patty, she's a bit shy. You can take me home though."

Charles instantly knew the blond woman was a dirty slut like Marianne and wanted to hit her across her face. Even though he was drunk, he refrained from doing anything stupid.

"I was talking to Mari." He said disgustedly.

The women stared at each other. "Who?"

"Patty." Damn it, he had to stop thinking about that Marianne. She was ruining his fricking life.

"Um, I…" Patty started.

"Let me buy you a drink at least." He said, and the redhead took his arm. The two walked to the bar. _This would be a piece of cake_, Charles thought.

* * *

"I kind of like you, Marianne." He said teasingly. "Well, a lot."

They were walking in the gardens and Adam stopped her in front of a dark fountain. She looked up at him as a look of defeat crossed her face.

"Are you sure you don't prefer Carla?" She asked jokingly.

"Well, I thought about it, but I hate long distance relationships."

Her jaw dropped. "Adam!"

"I'm joking! Just joking."

"Relationships?" she asked, swallowing.

He rubbed the back of his hand gently over her cheeks. "I think we have something special. And I want to see where this goes."

"Our job …"

"Don't worry about our jobs, it won't be a problem. I won't let anything interfere with work or our relationship."

"Adam…"

"Mari. Give me a chance." He kissed the tip of her nose and she smiled shyly.

"I didn't sleep well last night." She said.

He raised his eyebrows. "Ah?"

"I couldn't stop thinking about you, and it kept me up." She said honestly.

"That makes two of us." He said, kissing the nape of her neck.

"Won't Vince have a problem with this?" She asked.

"No, and if he does, we'll take care of it together."

"Alright."

He stopped to look in her eyes. "Alright?"

"In one condition." She said.

"Anything."

"When we fly together, I get the aisle seat and you do that distraction thing when we land."

Adam threw his head back and laughed. "It's a deal."

He leaned down and kissed her softly. A strong breeze flew past them but Marianne did not notice the cold. She was in Adam's arms and she was completely lost in his warmth and in his kiss. She wrapped her hand around his neck and raised herself with her toes as Adam was much taller than her. He deepened the kiss and everything else was forgotten.


	28. Nerds

"Get up." Adam said.

He was walking around the hotel room, collecting their things and packing them into their suitcases. They were leaving Toronto today, the day after Christmas to catch a plane to Chicago, and Mari was still lying in bed lazily.

"I jus' need five more min…" She closed her eyes and back into sleep she fell.

Adam glanced down to her dress on the floor and threw it playfully at her. "Up, woman."

"You're ruining Christmas." She mumbled.

"That was yesterday and no I am not. We still have to drive by mom's and then to the airport. You want to miss our flight?" He asked the sleepy form. He placed his hand on her bottom and shook her gently but at her lack of response, Adam continued gathering their belongings.

Adam and Mari had decided to give each other a chance their last night in New Zealand and so far they had lasted thirty-two Smackdown shows, twenty roster birthday parties (including Adam's), a number of Paul Bearer vignettes that Mari was _not_ allowed to talk about, three major pay-per-views, a lost election and one Christmas with Adam's mom and one with Mari's brothers.

"It's five in the morning Adam." She said sitting up. "I thought you said I could book our flights now."

"I did, but I am taking that back. I can't afford how you book flights. "

She threw a small pillow at him. "You're a millionaire! First class makes me more at ease."

"I'm sure it does. Up!" He walked into the bathroom and missed the face Mari made at him. She grudgingly made her way up, throwing on a pair of jeans and the first shirt she could find: a Rated R shirt from Adam's suitcase.

"That shirt is huge on you." He said as he stepped into the room. "Its cute."

"It smells like you. Can I keep it?" She asked fluttering her eyelashes.

"No, you took my last three, including my favorite Raw is War shirt – which you _ruined _– so, no. There is no way I'm going to let you take and hurt my babies again." Adam said.

"You mean shirts, right?"

He huffed. "No, I mean my babies."

Mari took his shirt off and dropped it on the floor, leaving her topless in the middle of the room. Adam's gaze fell on Mari and he straightened slightly. He stared at her naked top and cautiously thought of his choices. "Uh…"

After a moment's hesitation he strode towards her and Mari smiled. She learned a few days into their relationship she could always count on Adam to be a man. When he stopped in front of her, she stopped herself from laughing. That is – until he bent down, picked up his shirt and walked away.

"You're a jerk." She sputtered!

His chuckle didn't help her mood but she did finish packing with his help. She dragged him to a drive-thru of her new favorite coffee shop and ordered a tall double-double.

"I really do love Toronto." She said.

"No, you love Tim Horton's." He corrected her.

"No… well, yes, but I had fun coming to Toronto with you. I really like your mom." She said with a smile.

Mari had decided she wanted to spend her favorite holiday with Adam and so they went to her parents' place first and spent the twenty-fifth of December with his mom in Toronto. She had been incredibly nervous to meet his mother but she worried in vain. Judy Copeland was in fact the sweetest and most loving woman in the world. Meeting her had been a wonderful experience and probably the best Christmas she ever had outside of her parent's cocoon of love.

When they reached Judy's home, a lovely two-storey townhouse in the city's core, Adam parked the car and walked out, hugging his mom who had been waiting eargerly outside.

"I wish you would let me buy you a bigger home in Orangeville." He referred to their childhood town outside the big city. "I know you don't always love Toronto."

Judy had moved them into big metropolis city when Adam was young but he always missed his childhood city where he met his best friend Christian and learned to love wrestling. He wanted to give his mom anything she desired, that was essential to his happiness.

"I love this city as much as you, my boy. But thank you. I'm really happy here and gosh, I love seeing you."

"I love seeing you too, mom." Adam hugged Judy again. Mari smiled from inside the car and rolled down her window.

"Hi Judy!" She said. "Happy Boxes Day!"

"Hi darling!" Judy waved happily. Marianne got out and gave Adam's mom a warm hug.

"Its boxing day, spitfire. Not 'boxes' day. Pardon her, mom, she's a foreigner."

Judy laughed and Mari shrugged her shoulder, letting the man know exactly what she thought of him at the moment.

"We've got to go, we just wanted to say bye." Adam said, kissing his mom's cheek once more.

"Well goodbye darlings. Marianne, you tell Adam call me when you land, I want to know you're both safe." She said.

Mari nodded. "I promise we'll call."

They exchanged goodbyes and soon the two were headed towards the airport. Mari took the wheel, excited to drive to Pearson Airport. The two have an on-going feud on who gets to drive in each city when they rent a car. After their first fight, they resolved to purchasing a deck of trivia cards. Whoever got the answer right first would be the driver and controller of music. They had been getting a lot of sports trivia and Adam had won the last couple of times, which drove Mari crazy. This week the question was historical and Mari shouted in glee when she answered correctly.

"Thank you, Spanish Inquisition." She said. Mari set the GPS on and connected her iPod to the rental's music dock. It wasn't long until Adam took her mp3 player and took charge of the music options.

"Tell me you have something good here." He said exasperated. "My God, I'm dating a nerd. Alanis Morrisette, Amy Winehouse, Bonnie Wright, the Cranberries, Disney…. Disney!"

"Don't judge me, Adam Copeland. Now play me some Goddamn Disney tunes… or get the hell out of my car…" she said in a low raspy voice.

Throwing his head back, Adam laughed. "Alright, my little spitfire, should I start with Aladdin or Beauty & the Beast?"

"Ooh, how about Fox & the Hound?"

"Oh, I'm definitely the fox…" He muttered under his breath.

"I heard that, and it's not funny. I don't hound you for things… actually; you were the one hounding me earlier to get up, like we were in any danger of missing our flight. So I would be the fox and you're the _hound_."

"Are you all done, Cruella?" he asked cheekily.

"Are you going to do this all day?"

"No."

She signaled to turn left, and waited at the stop light. "Good. I hate when you challenge yourself to annoy me."

"Ursula."

"Fine, keep it up; I _want_ to know how many Disney characters you can think of."

"I'll stop; I don't want to hurt your feelings… Jafar." He said with a snicker.

"Nice."

Mari's cell phone started to ring and she motioned for Adam to pass her purse over. He reached to the backseat and grabbed her shiny black purse.

"This is cute." He said admiring the large bag. He teased her, "It totally suits you."

"Adam, my phone."

He shook his head. "Can't drive and talk on phones in Ontario."

Annoyed, she replied. "Oh my God, than answer it for me, it might be work."

He rummaged through her bag and spoke under his breath about the ridiculous size of it. "How are you supposed to find anything in this bag, Mari? Hah. Mary. You're like Mary Poppins and her big bag."

"You are a nerd, Adam." She said. The phone stopped ringing and she sighed.

"Here it is!" He fished the phone out and opened it. "One missed call."

"See who it is."

"Here we go... Charles Stockman." Adam's eyebrows furrowed. "Isn't this your ex?"

"Augh." She sighed. "He's been trying to contact me for the last three months and seems to think that I'm just playing hard to get. I've been ignoring him."

Adam frowned. "He's been trying for three months?"

"Yeah, it's super annoying. E-mails, calls, faxes to the office. He'll get the hint soon."

"Haven't you told him you have a boyfriend?" Adam asked. "Wait, when were you going to tell _me_ that he's been bothering you?"

"It's not really a bother, he's harmless." She said shrugging her shoulders. "Besides, I did kind of cheat on him with you; I didn't want to hurt him further. I'm sorry, Adam."

"It was a kiss. You didn't whore around." He said. "You should have told me, this guy is dangerous. Do you not remember he split your lip open?"

"No, he was very angry, he never meant to hurt me." She was getting nervous about the argument she was having with Adam. She signaled off the road and parked on a little side road, feeling like she would burst into tears if they continued truly fighting. "You've got to trust me. I just didn't think it was important."

"Me not knowing the on-goings in your life isn't important?" He exclaimed angrily. "Are we not a team, Marianne?"

"I'm sorry. We are! I just didn't want anything else to come in between us. And he nothing to me. I figured it would be ok to just forget him."

"Your safety is important to me. You're important to me." He said, still angry.

Mari's eyes moistened. "Really?"

He looked over to her and noticed the tears pooling. "Damn it. Of course, Mari. I can't imagine you not in my life now. The past three months…"

He fell silent.

"I would never kiss anyone while I was with you. Much less sleep around. You are important to me too." She said sniffling.

"Ah." He leaned over and kissed her pouty lips. "I hate it when you cry. Look, just stay away from Charles and if he persists, you have to tell me."

"I will."

"Alright, dry your tears Alice." He cleared his throat. "Want me to drive?"

"Was that the 'Alice in Wonderland-drowning-in-her-own-tears' scene reference?" Mari asked with a smile.

"Uh… no."

"You're the nerd. And I'm driving."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

**Happy New Year's! **

**Apologies on the long wait for this chapter; it was a hectic end to 2010. ****Hope you all enjoy it, and next chapter is out tomorrow.**

**Thanks for the love and support!**

**Always,**

**L Boogie V**


	29. Smoke and Mirrors

"_Whoa-oh… you're only smoke and mirrors… whoa-oh… you're only smoke and mirrors to me! There you go; deep face in the camera_…" Mari sang softly under her breath. She was preparing the running order for tonight's house show in Chicago, Illinois and Cody's song was permanently stuck in her head. She continued typing on her laptop as she verified instructions from Stamford. Humming, she continued. _"… Less is more, everybody says so… even less is way too much…_"

"Are you still singing that song?" Calvin asked, strolling into the backstage area. She was surprised to see the young equipment manager there as he generally oversaw the broadcasted shows and not house shows anymore.

"No." Mari cleared her throat. Calvin had caught her singing at the Smackdown show before Christmas and suffices to say she had been very embarrassed. "What are you doing here?"

"You're a lost cause." He said as he handed over a sealed envelope. "Gary was sick and I was nearby."

"What's this?"

"Not sure, Security asked me to drop it off for you." Calvin gave her a small salute and walked out. "See you, Smokey."

"Bye Calvin." She watched him walk out and appreciated the muscular back view. "So dreamy. _But everybody sees the future's here with me, they watch the wheels go round, they tear this ego down! Whoa-oh-"_

She stopped singing as she ripped open the parcel. Inside was a cryptic letter and she wasn't sure whether to be nervous about it or indifferent. She stood with the letter still in hand and walked to the door. "Calvin!"

The half-Filipino man turned around and smiled. "What's up?"

"Who gave you this?" She asked frowning.

"Uh… Trey at security, it was dropped off earlier today he said."

"Oh, ok. Thanks, I'll give him a ring."

She went back to the Gorilla position and sat down. She looked at the letter again and her brow furrowed. She recognized some of the words to be from The Iliad but she had no idea what the letter meant or if it was even for her but either way, it left her with a feeling of discomfort.

"_**Nothing can be revoked or said in vain nor unfulfilled if I should nod my head. There is not denying what belongs to I as time runs thin for the wicked." **_

She mouthed the words once more and finally wrinkled it up, throwing it in the trash. She dismissed the letter and made a mental note to ask Trey later who had dropped it off. If it was someone playing a joke on her, well, it wasn't very funny. A few men walked in sweaty from an obviously vigorous workout and she stood up to kiss Adam. Kane né Glen, Nick, Rey and Alberto greeted her.

"Hi guys!"

"Marianne in the hizz-house!" Nick said. Nick who's character was Dolph Ziggler, high-fived her and put his arm around her shoulder. "Uh, guys… here's our problem solver.

At Adam's dark look, Nick removed his arm and continued. "We were all debating on who is the best promo cutter but we can't come to an understanding."

"Mike is pretty good." She said referring to the Miz.

The men laughed. "No, no. We mean of all time."

"Oh." Mari swallowed. She wasn't as wise as everybody else when it came to the history of the industry. "Are we talking just about the WWE?"

"Not necessarily. But yes." Nick responded.

"Uh… Undertaker?" She asked.

The men groaned and at the sound, Mari blushed. She wasn't sure if the sound was positive or if she had said something stupid. Heat spread to her face.

"Glen and I say it's Ric Flair, hands down." Adam said.

"Well, Rocky had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hands. Without fail, every time. Steve was phenomenal, and Flair was too… but the Rock and promos, that's perfection."

"No way." Adam said. "It's Ric."

Glen nodded his head in agreement and the others nay-said him. "No, no, no…" They walked off and she could hear the argument continue. Adam remained behind and brought her in for a hug. He kissed her neck and her nose wrinkled.

"You're stinky."

"I smell like a man." He said. "You love it."

"Mmm… I sure do." She kissed his lips and Adam grabbed her waist.

"Delicious." He said into her mouth and kissed her again.

She placed a hand on his chest and stopped his mouth from taking over her senses completely. "Go shower, call time is in forty-five minutes."

He groaned. "Yes ma'am."

She sat back down and she realized she was still kind of embarrassed about the men's dismissal of her opinion. She really needed to start studying more so she could earn more respect. Mari wanted to be like the infamous Sofie (Randy's fiancée and the Raw touring manager) and know everything about the company. Sofie had grown up watching the WWE whereas Mari grew up playing Barbies and reading novels by herself. Granted with four brothers she had learned how to keep up with any conversation but she had been pretty sheltered nonetheless. Working for Vince was the first impulsive and reckless thing she had ever done and Mari loved it.

Mari's phone rang and when she didn't recognize the number she hesitated to answer. At the fourth ring she finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"Marianne?" A woman's voice.

"This is she."

"My dear, this is Linda McMahon."

Mari's eyes widened in surprise. "Linda! How are you?"

"Oh you know, am doing alright." Since Linda had lost the election the word on the street was that she was somewhat depressed. "How is everything with you, Mari?"

"Wonderful. Extremely busy and exhausting but that's the nature of the beast."

Linda paused. "Are you being over-worked?"

"No, no, I'm not!" Mari replied cautiously.

"Ok good. I told Vince to take it easy one you; you're not bred for the industry like the others."

Mari's face fell. This was the second time today she felt inferior to the rest of the cast and crew. "Yeah, I guess."

"I wanted to see how you are doing and I wanted to talk to you about… well; maybe we can talk privately tonight. I am coming to the show with my husband."

"Oh great, I would love to! I've missed you!" she said and she had. Mari owed a lot to the older woman and she thought very highly of her.

"I've missed you too, dear. I will see you tonight then. Don't say anything to Vince that I called until we talk, 'kay dear?"

"Yeah no problem, I'll see you tonight." Linda hung up the phone and curiosity took claim of Mari. What could Linda want from Mari?

Mari sat back down and resumed her task of prepping the running order for tonight's house show. She was chewing the end of the pen when Cody's song popped back in her head.

"_Whoa-oh… you're only smoke and mirrors… whoa-oh… you're only smoke and mirrors to meeeee!" _She sang.

"Lost cause, Smokey." A walking-by Calvin said before disappearing down the hall.

Mari dropped her pen. "Damn it, how does he do that!"


	30. The Offer

Mari knew Vince was backstage before she even saw him. Crew scattered away to finish their assigned jobs and a silent cloak draped over the wrestlers stopping the typical light banter she could usually overhear before house shows. She didn't understand why but she too was completely intimidated by Vince McMahon.

"Marianne." She jumped at the voice.

"Vince." She said standing up straight. "How are you?"

"Very good. Everything here on schedule?" He asked.

"Yes, sir. Just waiting on Kevin to give us the thumbs up." She referred to Kevin Dunn, a board member of the WWE and the Television Producer. He was usually the one giving orders on the headset she had grown so accustomed to wearing.

"Very good. I will go speak to him." He said and she understood the dismissal.

She sat back down and let out a relieved sigh. She still wasn't sure whether she liked her boss or not as she often heard curious things about his personality. The thought dissolved as Linda approached her with a warm smile.

"Hi Linda!" The two women hugged.

"Do you have some time to chat?" Linda asked.

Mari glanced down at her watch and grimaced. "Show starts in five. After the show?"

"That sounds great."

"Linda McMahon, to what do we owe the pleasure?" An approaching Edge said.

"Adam, dear, how are you? Ooh, nice looking belt you've got there." She said pointing to the World Heavyweight Championship belt Adam had won at the last pay-per-view from Glen.

"What, this old thing?" He said joking. "Just an accessory."

"You know Mari, I met Adam when he was a nineteen-year-old boy. He was so adorable; you should have seen him…"

"Ouch, Linda… are you saying I'm not adorable anymore?" Adam said with feigned hurt.

"Oh no, you're still quite a catch. Getting a little old, but aren't we all?" She said with a laugh. "No, but I look forward to meeting the lady that finally claims your heart."

Adam winked at Mari and threw his arm over Linda's shoulder leading her away. "But Linda, you did that when I met you eighteen years ago. Are you sure you won't leave Vince for me?"

Mari laughed and at that moment she realized how much she came to care for Adam. She rested her chin on her hand and watched Adam lead the giggling Linda away. When they weren't bickering they spent their time laughing or making love and even in the midst of their fights Mari felt pure positive joy. He always knew what to say to comfort her and she hoped she could provide the same to him. Other than Charles (and Mari grimaced at the thought of him) she had no real experience with boyfriends or relationships.

"Everybody set?" The voice in her headset asked.

"Set here, Kevin." She replied.

"Thanks Mari. Chimel?"

"Ready, boss."

"Striker?"

"Set." He answered.

She zoned out as others replied. It usually took fifteen to twenty minutes to go through the camera men and crew but tonight was just a house show. A few minutes later the show was starting.

"We're starting with the Level Three match. Mari can you queue Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins, please." Dunn's voice reverberated in her ear.

"Yes." She signaled for the two men to approach the Gorilla position as they had been waiting quietly nearby and smiled at them when they lined up. "We're ready."

"Reks and Hawkins ready." Dunn repeated to the crew.

The show started and when the night had finally ended Mari slowly took the headset off and handed it to one of Calvin's men. She stretched her back and waited for Adam to get out of the locker room. His match had been last with Glen and so they were just showering now. When Linda approached her she was surprised to see the older woman still hanging around.

"Hi Mari, have some time?"

Mari stood. "Of course. Want to go to the back?"

Linda led the way as Mari followed diligently. "I don't have much time, Vince will be looking to leave soon."

Mari frowned. "Linda, you're starting to kind of concern me. Is everything okay?"

"Of course! Ever since I lost the election Vince has been on über-protective mode, and it's driving me insane! He keeps telling me to return to the WWE and find a project to work on."

"Oh?" Mari asked, perplexed.

"I don't want to do that… I love this company but my heart is telling me to continue what I've started and not give up politics."

Mari nodded. "Of course."

"I knew you'd understand! You're a lot like me and this business isn't for us! You know, I just knew you'd side with me. I regretted letting Vince take you away from my team and mix you with his crazy way of running a business." At Mari's face of surprise, Linda continued. "I want to start a new project. I am not sure what yet, but it will have to do with bettering the community and I want a good lawyer on my side. You're being completely misused by my husband."

Mari stared at her blankly, unsure of how to respond. "I-I…"

"Well, I don't want to pressure you, my dear. I know you're highly loyal and dedicated. Take a few weeks to think about it thoroughly and let me know at the end of January what you think. Maybe at the Royal Rumble? I promise to take care of my husband and any worries you may have at that point."

"I'm so honored Linda, you must know how much I enjoyed working with you before…"

Linda's smile vanished. "Of course you did. And I threw you to the sharks."

"No, no you haven't. I'm really enjoying this job… it's given me so much."

"Of course it has." She patted Mari's hands and stood up. "Well, I'm going to find Vince and head to our hotel. It's a long flight back to Stamford tomorrow. You think about my offer, dear."

Mari followed her and tried to focus her thoughts. Linda had just baffled her with her proposition and even though she had no intention of taking it, a part of her wondered if she could survive the WWE.

When Adam approached her she leaned into his embrace. He kissed her softly and then frowned at her expression.

"What's wrong, spitfire?" He asked.

She smiled at his endearment. "N-nothing, just kind of taken aback."

"What did Linda want?"

"She offered me a job." Mari said quietly.

"What?" He exclaimed. "What do you mean?"

"She wants me to work for her again, quit this job…"

"No."

"… and start a new project to better communities. What?" she asked.

"I said, no. What would we do without you? We need a touring manager."

Mari blushed. "Really?"

"Of course. We would have utter mayhem. No one would know when to go into the ring, Calvin would never get access to inside the arenas… who would shut up Nick's endless blather?" He said bringing her closer into his hug. "We need you here. I need you here."

"You do?"

He kissed the nape of her neck. "Let's go to the hotel, I'll show you how much."

Mari tucked Linda's offer away in the back of her mind and followed Adam out of the Chicago arena. A cold wind engulfed them and he brought her closer to him. She rested her head on one of his arms enjoying the warmth and looked forward to their night together in the hotel. The year was almost over and she was coming to the conclusion that maybe she did belong in the WWE.


	31. New Employee

'Happy new year!' could be heard from all corners of room. Vince had invited all of his employees to Stamford for the turn of the decade and most of all people had turned out. Marianne hadn't the slightest clue as to how Vince managed to organize a year-end party without help, but she was glad he did. Head office looked grand, with very chic decorations and the food was beyond delicious which made Mari curious as to how he got a caterer this good so late in the game.

"Happy New Year, Mari!"

They had all received the invitation three days prior (personally from Vince) and since Vince rarely did this kind of thing so she wasn't shocked at how many people showed up. A lot of pleasantly surprised people were now hugging and cheering as the year 2010 finally ended. Champagne was being passed around and friends were congratulating one another for surviving another long year in the WWE.

Adam had planted a loud smack on her lips at the three, two, one… and lifted her up in a big bear hug. After whispering "Happy new year's, spitfire. You're everything." and kissing her again he had started the hugging rounds with friends. William Reso who she hadn't seen since his accident a few months back was there with his girlfriend and looking healthy. The reunion of Edge and Christian was celebrated by their friends and Mari laughed when the two embraced dramatically.

Mari avoided Linda who had been trying to make eye contact with her all night, and bounced around by greeting friends. She hid behind Jake at one point when she saw Linda scanning the room. When Jake noticed her, she grabbed his arms firmly to keep him in place and ducked when Linda walked past her and Swagger.

"Hiding from Adam?" He asked.

"No, hiding from… nobody." She said.

"Ah, I understand. Your secrets are safe with me, Mari." He said in understanding.

"I'm not hiding from Adam though."

"No, no. Sometimes we just need a little break." Jake nodded sympathetically. "Here, sit with me. We're practically family anyways."

She sat on a bench beside Jake. "We are?"

"Well, I went to the same University as your brothers, played the same sports. I may as well have been your brother too."

"You can be the brother I never really had, Jake." She joked.

"Really?" He asked.

"Uh… erm. Yes." Mari reminded herself to tell Jake later she didn't really need another varsity over-protective brother.

"Well, then as first order of business, I shall teach you something." He pulled out his iPhone from his pocket. "Ever play Angry Birds before?"

"No, I have not."

"Here, it's simple." Jake explained to her how the game worked and within a few minutes she had gotten the gist of it. Maryse sat down beside them suddenly causing both Mari and Jake to look up.

"'ello." She said kind of gloomily.

"Hey Ryse." Jake said putting his arm around her shoulder. "You ok?"

"Oui." She said with a sniffle. "Teddy did not come to me for the countdown."

Adam had told her a couple of weeks prior that Ted and Maryse had dated months ago but the relationship had ended horribly. Their on-air relationship however hadn't ended much to Teddy's dismay and Maryse saw it as a sign they still belonged together.

"Oh, I'm sorry Ryse." Mari said.

"C'est la vie."

Mari was about to console Maryse when she saw an unexpected familiar face in the crowd. Alarmed, She stood up cautiously and scanned for Adam when the CEO made his way to the front of the room.

"Excuse- me, may I have your attention please?" Vince asked, clinking a spoon to his wine glass.

"_I've just received an e-mail…" _Someone shouted from the back and laughter erupted among the WWE family. Vince smiled which prompted everyone to laugh harder. After a few minutes, silence finally met the room. Vince looked bashful and continued.

"I would like to thank everyone that came… Damn there are a lot of you here." He said with a chuckle. "Also, I'd like to thank everybody that has stayed true and supportive of me and my family, the company… it's been a crazy year, and we're all very glad to have you here tonight. Before we continue the celebration I'd just like you all to welcome one more member to the company."

People were looking around curiously and those that weren't seemed to be still getting out of the shock of hearing Vince thank everyone. Marianne had a sinking suspicion she knew exactly who the new hire the boss was referring to was.

"As you all know I hired Sofie Sinclair last year to be my assistant…" People cheered and Randy yelled 'thank you, boss!' which erupted in more laughter. "… Yes, yes. Sofie we all adore you. However, she since then has become the official Touring Manager for Raw. With Lorraine retiring, Marianne took over Smackdown. Which has left me with quite a lot to do."

People waited on his every word, patient for him to reveal who would be his new assistant and Mari's stomach sank a little. She looked around for Adam again but she still couldn't find him. Unfortunately he wasn't the only tall impressively build man in the room.

"Well, this summer Linda and I met a very impressive young person who's been working for us the last two months right here in Stamford. After even staying here all day organizing this party, she's still managed to look quite wonderful. Please help me welcome Caroline Dewhurst."

Marianne gave a soft gasp. "Carla."

People were clapping politely as the blonde British beauty walked to the front to stand beside the beaming Vince.

"Please, call me Carla." She said with a small blush. "I hope to make friends with all of you and be of substantial help whenever you shall need it."

A wine glass fell to the floor scattering in pieces and the noise broke any awkward tension there may have been. The caterers hurried to the glass and soon the floor was spotless. People made their way to the McMahons and Carla, introducing themselves while Mari noticed another Brit was _not_ looking very happy.

Stu who had dropped the glass, was staring at Carla with pure hatred in his eyes. He was clutching his hand which seemed to have gotten cut by the glass, but his focus was on the other person native to his country in the room.

Mari walked over to him. "Stu? Uh… Stu?" At the lack of response, Mari tried a new tactic. "Wade?"

He looked down at her with a distant look in his eyes. "Bloody hell, my hand."

"Yeah, let's get you a band-aid or something." She started to lead Stu away when she spotted Adam a second after Carla did.

"Adam!" Carla shrieked!

"Carla! Congratulations my friend. I had no idea."

Stu and Mari watched as the two embraced in a tight hug and jealousy engulfed the redhead. She liked Carla, she did… but when she saw her with her boyfriend all the insecurities she had before New Zealand came crashing back.

She watched Carla remove a piece of fluff from Adam's jacket and giggle nervously. "You have a little… oh there you go."

"Oh thanks. You look great, Carla."

"Thank you. America it seems, agrees with me. So do you. Look great that is."

Adam smiled. "Thank you."

"I'm just so happy to be here!" She hugged Adam again and Mari scowled when he hugged her back.

"Uh, Mari, darling?" Stu said softly, his voice low.

"Yes, Stu?" She replied sadly.

"Will you help me find bandages?" He asked. "For my hand?"

"I- sure."

The beautiful blonde that Adam got along so well with in New Zealand was back in their lives, and permanently it would seem. Mari shook the bad feeling off and decided to go greet Carla after helping Stu. She really liked the young woman in New Zealand and Carla had proven to be a good friend. Mari felt bad for assuming her perfectly well-oiled machine that she called life would fall apart just because of an unexpected surprise.

"Silly." She muttered. She couldn't wait to find Adam and take him home.


	32. The Iliad

"I have a confession to make." Mari said.

Adam who was driving the rented car glanced over at her in the passenger seat. They were headed to their hotel after a long house show and both were itching for a warm shower and bed. "Did you go near my t-shirts again?"

Mari laughed. "That wasn't the confession, but yes."

"Uh… did you lie about your fright of flying so I would fall for you?"

"No, I really am scared of flying."

Adam drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "Did you…"

"Do you want me to just confess?" she interrupted.

"No, this is more fun." He replied. "Did you decide to take Linda's offer after all?"

"Well…" at her hesitation Adam gripped the wheel.

"Mari, don't be stupid, you know better, you aren't a-"

Mari laughed. "Relax; I'm not taking that job. I love working here and with you."

He sighed. "Don't scare me like that."

"Want me to just confess now?"

"You win again. Yes, please make your confession."

"I was jealous." She said simply. "On the New Year's eve party when I saw Carla there, I saw green. I literally wanted to hide you but then she found you first and you two hugged and I felt… jealous. I'm sorry."

"What… really? Babe, that's the best news I've heard all day. When I saw you leaving with Stu I almost followed you so I could kill him. Jay told me you were helping him with a cut, otherwise that man would be dead."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Mari… I don't want to lose you."

Mari's heart warmed. "You won't. And you don't ever have to be jealous. I'm kind of serious about you."

"Oh? Go on…"

"Well you're mildly attractive and you often smell okay. But really, it's the money I'm interested in."

"Oh I see how it is. Well if we're being honest…"

Mari hid a smile. "Mm hmm."

"Well, I prefer blondes, but you seem to have an _in_ with the boss. You do that thing with your mouth I hate _but…_  
Mari gasped. "What thing with the mouth?"

"You know, the excessive talking."

Mari grimaced. "Ow."

"But on the other hand, you _do_ have an in with the boss. Full circle, Mari. I've been with you for three months and I already have the World Heavyweight belt. So, I'm keeping you."

Mari laughed. "You're a jerk."

"Yeah, yeah… I love you too."

Mari froze. They had arrived at their hotel room and Adam looked for the indoor parking lot. It was easier to avoid fans if they went directly inside the hotel and after a long day sometimes it was just nice to not have to talk to anybody. More often than not, they stopped for autographs and pictures, which always gave Adam a bout of giddiness. Tonight though, she knew he was tired. As he steered the car into an empty space Mari's mind was reeling from his last comment. 'I love you too' said in a playful but sarcastic way. Her heart was beating in her chest and she wasn't sure how to respond. He shut off the ignition and stepped out, closing the driver's door behind him. Walking over to the other side he opened the door for Mari with a polite bow.

"Milady."

The words _I love _you_!_ were on the tip of her tongue, raging to come out when her cell phone rang. She glanced down at her bag and distractedly looked for her cell phone.

"Thank you." She murmured, stepping out of the passenger seat.

"Who's calling so late?" He asked.

"I don't know, let's see." She opened the phone to see Head Office calling. "Stamford. Hello?"

"_Stamford_?" Adam mouthed silently.

"Hi Mari!" Carla's voice answered.

"Carla!" She said. Adam teased her by fluttered his eyelashes and begging for Mari to pass him the phone. Swatting his hand she walked away with mock offense. "How's it going?"

"Very well, thank you. I apologize for calling so late, I figured you'd still be awake."

"Oh yeah, no problem, I am just arriving at the hotel now." Mari replied, ignoring Adam who now was trying to get her attention by kissing her shoulder and neck. "Stop it."

Adam threw his hands up in defeat and walked towards the elevator, giving her a devilish wink.

"S-sorry?"

"Oh not you… I was talking to someone else. Is everything alright, Carla?"

Carla paused. "Yes. I just wanted to ask you about… uh, never mind. I'm being foolish. Can we meet sometime this month and have a nice cup of tea? Catch up?"

"Of course, Carla. Are you sure you're ok?"

She could the British girl sniffling. "Yes."

"Are you really sure?" Mari asked. She was obviously distraught about something. "Is it work? I know it can seem overwhelming at first and I know Vince can seem harsh but it's not personal and –"

"No it's not work. Actually, that's the best part of my day. Vince is bloody incredible."

Taken aback, Mari paused. "Oh."

"I guess I just needed to hear a familiar voice. I'm sorry to have bothered you.

"No, no… I think I understand. You miss your home, your friends… you're lonely?"

Carla sniffled. "There is that."

"Well, I'd love to be your friend here. I'm going to Stamford next week. Want to go for lunch?" Mari asked her.

"I would love that."

"It's a date then."

Mari spoke with Carla for the next couple of minutes and when she was finished she made her way to her room in search of Adam. He was already lying in bed, with a book in his hands.

"How was your chat with Carla?" He asked, not looking up.

"It was kind of strange actually. I think she's lonely." Mari put her purse on the chair. "What are you reading?" she asked.

"The Iliad it seems." For the second time that night, Mari was taken completely aback. A few days prior she had received a cryptic letter with what seemed to be a quote from the Iliad. _Nothing can be revoked or said in vain nor unfulfilled if I should nod my head. _She looked at Adam suspiciously and removed her jacket and boots.

"Why The Iliad?" She asked.

"'Dunno." He shrugged. "It was here. Are you done with it?"

"I haven't read that book since university. Wait, what do you mean? Isn't it yours?"

Adam put the book down and looked at her. "No…"

Mari walked towards the bed, sitting down next to Adam and looked at the book. "Maybe the last customers forgot it here. Weird."

"I never had the urge to read books like this. What is it about anyways?" Adam asked, stretching.

"You know, Helen of Troy… The Greek war versus the Trojans."

"Were the Greeks heels or babyfaces?" He asked with a grin.

"Uh, there wasn't really a distinction. It was more about death and war. The main heel guy was Greek but so was the babyface, Achilles. It starts with Paris stealing Helen of Troy from her Trojan husband and war breaking out because of it. Achilles didn't want to fight but in the end he had to and he was successful in killing the Trojans with the horse. _Beware Greeks bearing gifts_, and all that. Quite boring"

"So a man steals another man's woman and Achilles thought that wasn't worth fighting for?" Adam asked.

"But Paris was the lover of Helen. The only reason she was married in the first place was because of her beauty. Her husband didn't actually care for her. Why should there be a war when she wanted to be with another?"

"Very wise… so if you were Helen would I be Paris?" He asked playfully.

"God, no. Paris was a wimp. It's a stupid story anyways… I'm not Helen and my jealous husband isn't trying to get me back."

"Thank God for that." He said kissing her hand. "Not that I would give you up."

"Adam?"

"Yes, spitfire?"

Silence. "I love you."

Adam tossed the book to the floor and pulled Mari to the middle of the bed where she laid on her back beside him. He leaned over her and rubbed his thumb gently over her lips. He kissed her softly until her lids closed in delight, melting all of her insides. He pulled his lips away and she slowly opened her eyes to gaze into his. He was staring at her intently and she felt nervous that he hadn't said anything back yet.

He kissed her once more. Then again.

"I love you, Marianne."


	33. Inquiries

Adam had his iPod on shuffle as he treaded the mill for a vigorous workout. He watched as others lifted weights to define their muscles while letting out hearty groans over the brutal lifting exercises. Adam wasn't a young man anymore and he had no desire to get massive muscles. At the beginning of his career a lot of men were dabbling with steroids and other muscle-enhancing drugs which had at the time seduced even him. He never got addicted which he was thankful for now and instead he learned the importance of resistance and durability. He had specific workouts for different parts of his body but sometimes just running the treadmill was euphoric to him.

"_Adam, I love you."_

He grinned as he remembered Mari's words to him the other night and a profound sense of happiness swallowed him. A few months ago he wanted nothing more than to strangle the auburn beauty, with her quick tongue and haughty air, and out of thin air it seemed she managed to crawl into his heart. He had no idea where they were going with this relationship; he just knew he did not want it to end. He laughed as a memory popped into his head: Marianne learning how to fight from Stephen.

She had been so angry and defensive at first…avoiding his eyes and ignoring him while letting the others give her all kinds of advice. He had seen right through her to the scared little girl still coping with the abuse that had been inflicted on her. He knew she hadn't been traumatized but her ex had rattled her sense of well-being. Thinking of 'Douchebag Charles' made Adam tense and angry. He turned the speed up on the treadmill and worked out the negative energy that man instilled in him. He was so thankful Mari was with him now and her ex was a distant memory. He saw Stephen and Stu approach him and he gradually slowed down his pace to a stop. Stretching, he acknowledged the men.

"What's up, U.K?" He said with a nod.

Stephen grinned. "Oi, here's me man. What's the fun wit'ya, bod?"

"Sorry, Stu, can you translate?"

"I can only presume Ireland here would like to know how you're fairing." Stu suggested.

"How do you say 'pretty well' in Gaelic?" Adam asked Stu.

"Can't say I know, barely a communicative language is it, now?"

Stephen mocked hurt. "Har, har, verra cute. The two of ye can kiss me arse."

Adam and Stu laughed as he strutted away. Adam tied his hair back as he and his friend sat down. "How's it going, Stu? Heard you're being traded to Smackdown."

Stu gave a faint smile. "It's a possibility. I believe Vince is stuck on either regrouping a second Nexus on Smackdown or drafting Alberto to Raw leaving yours truly to be the replacement on your show."

"Damn right it's my show."

Stu laughed. "For now. So, how is everything with Marianne?"

"Amazing. The only problem is that she wants to cook me dinner."

"Why is that an issue?" He asked. "Most men delight in receiving a specially cooked meal."

"Yeah, but Mari can't cook."

"Blimey. My apologies then."

Adam laughed. "If I don't survive you can _have_ my belt, Stu."

"Ah… and there it is. May I get a witness?" He said standing up. "Anyone? Vince shall have to just take my honorable word for it. Speaking of the bugger, what do you think of his new assistant?"

"Carla? She's awesome. Mari and I met her in New Zealand."

"Why in the heavens would Caroline ever go to New Zealand?" He asked.

"Uh, she was working for a British network Vince wanted to partner up with… Caroline? Do you know Carla?"

Stu seemed to be taken aback. "What? Oh, no. Well, yes. I went to Queen Elizabeth Grammar school, a private school, and met her there."

"Holy shit." Adam said. "You went to high school with Carla?"

"Absolutely not. She went to the all-girls school across mine, Wakefield. The two schools would often partake in the same activities. I highly doubted I would ever face Caroline again."

"Small world, huh?" Adam could sense there was unfinished business between the two Brits and didn't necessarily want to get involved. "You should give her a call and catch up."

"I would rather not." Stu stood. "Well, I must be going, see you on Smackdown tonight?"

"Yes sir."

Adam wiped sweat off of his forehead with the small towel the gym provided and headed towards the locker room. First a shower, then hotel room, Smackdown, and lastly Mari all to himself.

* * *

"Hey Lucas." Mari picked up her cell. Her older brother and one-half of the twins was calling her.

"Marilee!"

Mari groaned. "Ugh, Kaden is that you?"

She heard laughter on the other side. "Yes, yes it is."

"Why are you calling from Lucas' phone? Where is he?" she asked.

She could almost hear Kaden grinning. "Set him up on a date. I pretended to be him the other night and scored him a dinner with Isaac's secretary. Now I am in his apartment watching hockey."

"Why would you do that to your brother?" She asked. "Never mind, I don't want to know."

"The man needs to get laid." Kaden started. "Just get 'er in deep."

"Oh no, la-la-la-la, I do not want to hear this."

"Okay, okay, I forgot my sister was a prude." He teased.

"Kaden, what do you want?"

Mari sat down on a bench. She was in the Tucson Convention Center waiting for the manager on site to give clearance for Calvin to dock some of the trucks in the underground loading zone. She had spoken to the older gentleman earlier but could not find him now; she only hoped the manager hadn't left.

"Straight to the point, I like it. I want Barbie's phone number."

Mari gasped. "Just because the Diva's are sexy and in good shape doesn't mean they are stupid and deserving of you calling them Barbies!"

"Mari, chill out. I'm talking about Barbara Blank. Barbie."

Mari's cheek crimsoned. "Oh."

"Sorry, I don't have her number."

Kaden tsked. "I know you can get it though."

"Sorry brother, I actually can't as per my contract."

"Damn it." Kaden muttered. "Fine. How's Adam? Can I get his number? As my little sister's boyfriend I should be able to contact him."

Mari shook her head to the phone. "No way. You can't pull that on me."

"Have I told you how much I care and love you? Please Marilee…"

"Fine. Write it down." She gave him the number and waited as he put it into his phone. "And stop calling me that. God you're annoying."

"Is that why you never pick up when I call?"

"Exactly."

"I knew it! You answered for 'Lucas' way too quickly. Oh before I forget, Charles called me hoping to get a hold of you. He mentioned he had some things he wanted to return to you so I told him he could find you at Stamford this week."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, I never liked the guy but I figured it would be good for him and you to talk, maybe he can get closure."

"Ah." Mari sighed. "Fine. I'll get my things and then I won't have to talk to him again."

"Good. Game's back on. You gave me Barbie's number right?"

"No, I gave you _Adam's_."

"Riiight. _Adam's_… Thank you, you're the best. Love you."

The heard the click before she could respond. Suddenly she laughed, realizing Kaden would have a much harder time trying to get with Kelly Kelly opposed to the way he usually got with other women.


	34. Charles' Ultimatum

There was a soft knock on her door.

Mari looked up. "Come in."

Sarah, the well-known and well-liked receptionist of the Stamford headquarters poked her blonde head into the borrowed office space Marianne was occupying and smiled. Mari was finally catching up on some paperwork and she was thankful for the room and the computer Vince's assistant Carla had provided.

"There you are." Sarah said. "You have a guest."

A bad feeling anchor sank to the bottom of her stomach causing Mari to grimace. She had been tipped off by her brother Kaden earlier that week that Charles might drop by the WWE head quarters in search of her.

"Who is it?" She asked, not really wanting to know.

"Mr. Charles Stockman, and quite the charmer!" Sarah giggled. "Is he single?"

Mari groaned. "He's a slimeball, S. If he is, you deserve better than that."

When Sarah's face fell, Mari felt even worse than before. "Figures. The cute ones are either jerks or taken. What shall I say to him? Meeting, not here, out to lunch?"

Mari stood up. "No it's okay, I'll see him. Will you bring him here?"

"Sure thing, sweetie."

When the door opened once more just minutes later, Mari's nerves doubled. She had hoped never to see Charles again and memories of their relationship rushed through her mind including their last memory: Charles backhanding her.

Adam would be absolutely furious if he knew she was meeting with him, but once she explained she was sure he would forgive her. She wanted to get this over with and finally have her ex out of her life. Inviting Adam into it would just make matters worse and because Adam was her constant source of happiness, the last thing she wanted was to poison that well. _This will be brief and painless_, she told herself.

"Ms. Tobey," Sarah said. "Mr. Stockman."

Charles walked into the room comfortably and smiled slyly. She ignored him. "Thanks Sarah."

Charles raised an eyebrow. "Darling, you're looking beautiful."

"Please don't call me darling." Mari said.

"How can I not when you're the object of my affection?"

Mari rolled her eyes. "Can we cut through the niceties and get this over with?"

"Fine. I will take you back. We can be married before the Summer."

"Uh… that is not what I meant. I have no intention of ever being with you again."

"Surely you can't be serious." Charles said sitting down. He had a dark smile on his face and it was causing Mari's nervousness to increase.

"Listen Charles, I met someone." She started.

"Ah yes, the same man that led you to infidelity?" Charles crossed his legs. "I am aware of who you have been sleeping with."

"Excuse-me? I am not an adulterer. We were practically done when I shared a kiss with someone else. You make me sound like a whore."

"I don't blame you for being weak. You're a woman after all." He waved a hand. "No, I forgive you. I'm here to win you back Mari. I know deep down you still love me."

Mari shook her head. "I don't. I don't think I ever did."

He laughed. "You're a nice girl. Nice girls don't give men their virginities if they don't love them."

"You're right, you were my first. Nothing can take that away," To her regret. "But you must understand; I had nothing to compare you to. Look, to simplify this… we just aren't meant to be."

The smile on his face vanished. "I'm Charles Stockman."

"Yes… you are."

"I'm the best you're ever going to get, Marianne." He said matter-of-factly.

"I highly doubt it."

Charles stood. "You listen here…"

Before he could grab her arm Mari backed away behind her desk, giving herself a protective shield. Charles slammed his hands down on the table and glared at her.

"This is your last shot… if you don't reconsider my offer…"

It was Mari's turn to laugh. "Offer? What the hell are you talking about? And what if I don't?"

"My offer will only last until the end of the month, darling. You return to me, or else."

"Or else what?"

"Or else, I ruin you. I ruin you, I ruin your father, your brothers… oh, and I ruin your adorable little boyfriend." He grinned. "Didn't I tell you I knew all about him too?"

"And how are you going to do that?"

"I've had a man following you." He said simply.

Mari gasped. "What?"

"And I may have some footage that the media would really love to see."

Mari watched him in disgust. What the hell was Charles talking about? "I've done nothing wrong."

"Oh, no. As a matter of fact you've only done it beautifully. You've gotten much better since me."

Mari felt sick. "What are you saying?"

"I have footage of you and your boyfriend." He laughed. "Why so pale, Mari? Don't you like being a little whore for your superstar?"

"Y-you videotaped me…" The thought of Charles watching her being intimate with Adam made her nauseous. "You're sick!"

"No, darling. I'm a man of power and success… and what I want I have. I would like to be married by the end of spring. If you don't have engagement papers signed by the end of the month, I will give the full press the tape. What should I call it? 'Tobey's Paradise' or maybe 'Tobey likes the Big E'?" Charles laughed.

"You're fucking sick." She yelled. "Get the fuck out of my office."

"I will be more than happy to leave. Oh, and Mari? What does your boss think of his employees that get tangled in the media? I hope your boyfriend doesn't lose his shiny belt because of you, or worse, his job. I know your father would be ruined if his baby was in a sex-tape scandal. Oh, and probably Isaac too. I heard he just landed a huge case… very lucky man."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked. "You know I don't love you."

"I spent years molding you to be the perfect wife, I have wasted too much time and effort to lose you now. You're going to be my wife and you're going to help me in my political career. Wrestling, Mari? Really? You've set me back enough." He picked up his jacket and walked towards the door. "You have until the end of the month."

Mari's mind was reeling. "Wait!"

"Yes, darling?"

"How do I know you're not lying?" She asked, watching his every expression.

"You don't." He took a step out of the room before turning back to her. "Oh Mari, when you're done with my book, I would love to get it back. God knows I love a good story about love, betrayal and revenge. Those Trojans were very silly, weren't they?"

Charles walked out of the room shutting the door firmly behind him. Mari sank to her chair as a violent urge to vomit washed over her. "He was in my hotel room. He left the book there, he left the note… Oh God."

Mari ran out of the office and sprinted towards the ladies' bathroom. Mentally, she thanked God it was empty. She entered a stall and emptied the contents of her stomach in to the bowl of the toilet. After a few minutes she grabbed some paper towels and wiped her mouth. Reality was sinking over the shock and tears finally overcame her.

She sobbed. "What am I going to do?"


	35. Fears & Doubts

By the end of the day Mari realized she had gotten nothing productive done. Since Charles' visit she had been unable to concentrate on anything _but_ his visit. After crying in the bathroom for a good twenty minutes, Mari realized she had to snap out of it. She was an educated woman and she could outsmart Charles. After sitting numbly in her chair for the remainder of the day and replaying the conversation with Charles repeatedly in her head, she finally opened a blank sheet in Microsoft Word and tried to get something tangible on paper. Mari was trying to figure out a way out of this predicament and she so she wrote down her options.

_Press charges on Charles for breaking and entering, threatening her livelihood and illegally distributing private footage. _

_Tell her father, brothers, Adam and Vince. Together they deal with this. _

_Ignore Charles, he probably has nothing on her._

_Hire her own men, track down Charles and steal his footage._

Unfortunately nothing on her list was a viable option. Number one would expose her loved ones and the WWE to the media which is what she is trying to avoid in the first place. Number two exposes everybody to the media and number three exposes everybody to the media especially if he does have a tape. Four would make her as bad as Charles and the last thing she wanted was to be like _him_. Mari had two weeks to deal with this before her world fell apart. She was done with this for the moment… it had been an exhausting and emotional day and until she spoke to Adam about it, She would not let this bother her for a second longer. When her phone rang she jumped, startled.

"Hello?"

"Hi, this is Adam Copeland. I'm looking for my girlfriend. Redhead, sharp mouth, very pretty…"

"Oh, sorry sir. I don't see any pretty redheads around." She replied with a smile. Only Adam could change her mood so quickly. Hearing his voice made all her fears disappear and she melted happily into the conversation.

"Did I say pretty? I meant absolutely drop dead gorgeous, I mean… this girl is so _so_ sexy."

"Oh yeah, I see her now. She's standing by the water cooler flirting with a muscular man."

"What? Who is he?" Adam asked in mock-concern.

"I'm not sure, I can't see his face. He has an amazing backside though… So round and perfect…"

"I know exactly who that is!" Adam said. "She's flirting with Calvin again. Damn it. It must be her weakness for water…"

"Yes well, she's on her third foam cup by what I can tell, but maybe she's had more."

"I don't know what to do… first the drinking problem, now the mild flirtations by the cooler. What would you do?"

"Me? Well… I'd probably get on the first plane, march straight to the water cooler, pick her up over your shoulders and take her home to where she belongs. And maybe give her some nice flowers and chocolate."

"Oh I don't know… she's real proud and stubborn. Do you think she would forgive me if I lifted her over my shoulders?"

"Hmm. Good point. Maybe instead of picking her up you can entice her with a love poem."

"Wow, you're pretty good at this. Can you help me with the poem?"

"Sure, start with stating how she first made you feel or how you feel now thinking about her…"

"Very good. Alright here goes. '_Redhead, hot mouth, you annoyed me to no end…_'"

Mari chuckled. "That's a good start…go on…"

"_Nag, nag, and super nag, oh the queen of torm_ent_."_

"I think you're missing the point of this… but go on." Mari said.

"_You fought me til my ears bled" _Adam continued,_ "So I conquered you in bed." _

"You're really bad at this… maybe add some metaphor to spice up the poem?"

Adam laughed. "_She is the apple of my eye…_"

"Lame." Mari groaned.

"_And she makes me heart sigh_. I love her."

"God that was terrible. I wrote it down and I'm sending it to everyone in the office… 'redhead, hot mouth.'" She said pretending to type on her keyboard.

"Fine. But send it to her first. She's not judgmental so I know she'll love it. I got to go to the gym, tell her to call me tonight, I miss her…"

"I will tell her." She heard his laugh and smiled. "I love you too."

"When will you come back to me, my love?" He asked seriously.

"Tomorrow afternoon, one more sleep and tomorrow I'll be back for Smackdown."

"Good, our bed has been cold." He said.

"About that… we have to talk." She said, uneasiness returning to the pit of her stomach.

"Talk? What's wrong?"

Mari shook her head at the phone. "Tomorrow, I can't talk about it in the office."

"Is everything ok?"

"Yes. Everything will be fine. I can't wait to see you."

"Me too. Love you!" Adam hung up the phone and Mari let out a soft sigh.

She and Adam would figure out how to outsmart Charles and she would enlist in the help of her brothers. It was the only way. There was no way she was going to endanger the livelihood of anyone she cared about and she was certain as long as she and Adam were together nothing would come between them. They had already been through so much to get to where they were now; surely Charles wouldn't be able to get between them?

Would Adam still want to be with her if it meant the ruin of his career? Realization kicked in that maybe Adam _wouldn't _want to be with her… That Vince would fire her before she could cause any damage to her career… she could lose everything!

Should Mari be quiet and not tell Adam anything until she figured something out? Should she warn her brothers? What if they did something reckless and irresponsible…? Isaac would be ruined completely… her father's legacy…

Marianne was having a small panic attack when she realized she did have one person that could help her without things getting worse. Her brother Kaden knew how to be discreet and get information quietly, unlike her very proper other brothers. She scrambled to find her cell phone and when she did she dialed Kaden's number quickly.

After a few rings a familiar voice met her ears. "Marilee."

"Kaden. I need your help."

Silence. "Marianne?"

"Please, Kaden, I need to talk to you." She sniffed. "I'm in trouble."

"Whoa, what's going on, little bird? Where are you?" Kaden's use of his old nickname for her calmed her down a bit.

"I'm in Stamford, Connecticut. I-I…"

Kaden's voice soothed her. "Shh, it's okay. Are you sitting down? Start from the beginning little bird."

"Charles." Kaden was silent. "I kissed Adam and broke up with him…"

"Mari, sweetie, I'm confused. You broke up with Adam?"

"No… Charles. When we broke up he had proposed but I had already started having feelings for Adam, so I ended things and he hit me…"

"Adam hit you?" His voice was low and furious.

"God no, Charles hit me when we broke up and today he…"

"Mari, I'm heading to Stamford right now. No, be quiet. I will be there within three hours since I'm going to drive. You text me your address and I will see you at eight. Do not leave Stamford, do not contact Charles. If he shows up near you, call the police. Mari, please tell me you're okay."

"I'm not hurt. Kaden… thank you."

"I will see you in three hours."


	36. Secrets

"Tell me everything and start from the beginning." Kaden said. He was pacing in her hotel room and it was making her awfully nervous. She started with the night in Washington when Charles had decided to surprise her unannounced and as she spoke quietly, Kaden's attention focused in on her.

He was surprisingly calm considering Charles' psychotic (as Adam would call it) 'heel-turn.' When she revealed his plan to release an intimate tape of her and Adam to the media if she did not go back to Charles, Kaden paled. Then he grew furious, his fists clenched by his sides and his eyes wild.

"He's lost his fucking mind."

Mari nodded. "I know. I have no idea what to do."

"Did he show you the tape?"

"No – but the book, Kay. I found the note and then the blasted Iliad book in my room. I _know_ he's been following me… I can't risk it." Mari swallowed. "If there is a tape… it will ruin all of you and it will ruin Adam's career."

"Have you told Adam?" He asked.

"Not yet."

Kaden sighed. "Maybe you shouldn't say anything yet." At Mari's reaction, Kaden stood up in order to calm her down. "Listen to me, if you tell Adam he's going to go straight to his lawyers and the media will hear of it either way. Give me a few days to look into this. I'm going to track down Charles and see what he has… don't talk to anyone; do _not_ make any contact with Charles. Just continue everything as usual…"

Mari stood. "Kaden, I don't think this is a good idea. There are only two weeks until the Royal Rumble… Charles wants an answer by then…"

"Give me a few days, Marianne." Kaden brought Mari in for a hug. "I'm going to go. Don't worry little sister, we'll take care of this."

"Thanks Kaden. _Please_ keep me updated." She said with urgency.

"I will. Keep your phone on you at all times. If there is any sign of Charles you contact me asap, alright?"

"Yeah. Are you sure I shouldn't talk to Adam?" she asked worried.

"It's just for a few days. Once I know more of Charles' plan we can all get together and talk it out, OK?"

Mari nodded. "Yeah, okay."

When she sniffed Kaden came in for a supportive bear hug. "We'll work this out. I'll call you within the next couple of days with news."

* * *

When Adam picked up Mari from the airport she was needless to say, very nervous. She hated the feeling of not being able to confide in him especially when that is was all she wanted to do. He came out of the car and when he reached Mari the two embraced in a tight hug.

"Ah you smell so good!" He said breathing deep. "I've missed you these last two days."

"Me too, I hate working at head office."

"How was it?" he asked, picking up her suitcase.

"It was fine." She lied. "Hey, want to rent a movie tonight or something?"

"I have practice with Nick. We're going to try some new things for the Rumble."

"Oh. Alright."

Adam nuzzled her neck. "I'm sorry baby. It shouldn't be too long, and then I'll come home and you can tell me all about your trip to head office."

"That sounds good. Can't wait for a shower. Stamford always makes me feel dirty."

"Mmm…" Adam grinned devilishly. "I love it when you're dirty. Let's go home."

"Home? Where's that tonight?"

"The Hilton." Adam said carefully.

"I miss having a real home sometimes." She spoke, not really to Adam.

Adam raised an eyebrow. "I thought you liked traveling with the E."

"I do. I just wish sometimes it wasn't so exhausting." She smiled weakly. "You understand, right?"

"Yeah, of course." Adam jumped in the driver's seat and fastened his seat-belt. "You OK, Mari?"

"Yeah, just tired." She lied. She hated lying but she had no choice.

"You should take a nap or something. Tomorrow will be a long day and then it's a weekend full of shows."

Mari sighed. "Yeah."

The rest of the car ride to the hotel was silent and Adam was unsure of what the hell just happened. When he picked up Mari at the airport he was the happiest he has been in the last two days and seeing her had completely invigorated him. Now she was acting different, kind of cold towards him and he was not sure why.

"Want to come to the gym and watch me and Nick go at it?" He asked.

"I think I just need some time to myself tonight, maybe read a book."

"Okay. You hungry?" he asked.

"No."

"O…kay." He said, steering the wheel into a left turn. Adam was confused – why was she acting the way she used to before they got to know one another? Maybe he was seeing too much into this and she really was just tired.

When they arrived at the hotel, Mari walked ahead of him – keeping a safe distance away. Maybe Adam was imagining this. It did feel like she was emotionally keeping a distance however.

She sat on the bed and placed her laptop beside her – waiting for it to load patiently. He stared at her for a few minutes but she never looked up. Sighing, he stood.

"Well, I'm going to go meet Nick."

"Cool. Have fun." Her eyes remained glued to the screen.

"Yeah… you too." He picked up his gym bag and walked out. He was annoyed with her and it was a new feeling. He'd been annoyed before but never genuinely and so out of the blue. He hoped she wasn't keeping secrets from him. That's the one thing he would not stand for and with that in mind he met Nick for a vigorous work out.


	37. All For Nothing

_Where are you?_ Mari texted Adam as it was nearly four in the morning and he still hadn't returned from going to the gym with Nick. She had fallen asleep around midnight and awoken by the need to drink some water later in the morning. She walked drowsily to the hotel room's kitchenette and grabbed a glass from the counter. Adam not contacting her was so strange and she wondered if something had happened. When five a.m. came around and she still had not received a message she began to worry.

She called Nick to hear his very tired voice. "'Lo?"

"Hi Nick, I am so sorry to bother you so early in the morning…"

"S'all good… what's up M?"

"Did Adam meet you last night?"

"Yeah, we ran into Mattie afterwards and they went for a beer." He explained referring to Zack Ryder's real name.

"Oh. He still hasn't come home…" She said.

"Maybe he crashed at his place… Matt was looking to get wasted since he broke up with his girlfriend."

"Oh, I see. Thanks Nick."

"No problem… see you tonight, Mari."

"See you, Nick."

_Where was he? Why hadn't he called? _Mari wasn't as worried any longer but she was starting to get pissed off. Adam never behaved like this, especially in the last four months they had been exclusive. It was just unlike him.

_Maybe his phone died._

Since she couldn't return to sleep Mari prepared her bags and showered. She put a pot of coffee on and sat there fuming as it brewed. It was eight in the morning! The doorknob rattled and the door opened slowly revealing a disheveled Adam.

He looked surprised to see her up and dressed, and raised his eyebrows at her. "Morning."

"Where have you been?" She asked, confused.

"Oh, you know… here and there…"

Mari frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Whatever you want it to mean." He said and walked into the bathroom, closing the door on her face. When he came out minutes later his face was wet and his shirt was off.

"Did I do something to deserve that?" Mari asked.

"Why don't you ask your boyfriend Charles?" He asked, stepping away from her.

That shocked her. What did that even mean? "C-Charles?"

He turned to face her. "I know you saw him over your trip to head office."

"I…"

"He was in your office for quite a while; you guys must have had a lot to catch up on."

"How…"

"We're a big family in this company, and no one keeps secrets. Matt saw you when he was there for an review. He was going to stop and say hello but the secretary said you were occupied with a very personal matter. Matt recognized him right away."

"No it wasn't like that…"

"Don't bother lying. How long have you been seeing him behind my back?"

"I haven't! I swear! He dropped by unexpectedly!"

Adam laughed. "Right. Why didn't you tell me than?"

"I didn't think it was important…" she lied. _Damnit! What else could she say?_

"All I asked was that you stay away from that creep and instead you're meeting him behind my back?"

"No, God, no."

"Then why did you two meet?" He asked.

Mari struggled to think of something. "He wanted to return some old belongings of mine." Which was half true, at least that's what she had expected Charles to do.

"You're not a very good liar, Mari." He said softly. "Are you going to tell me the truth?"

_And let you run to Vince and ruin your career?_ She couldn't. But she wouldn't lie anymore. "No. I can't."

"Then we're done." He said turning away. "I don't even know if you've lied about other things. Did you even love me? Don't bother answering."

"Please, Adam… just trust me…"

"Trust you? When you don't even trust me? Just leave, Mari."

"You want me to leave?"

He was silent for a moment. "Yes."

"You don't even want to tal-"

"For what reason?" He yelled. "You won't even be honest!"

"I've always been honest with you!" She said, angry at his stubbornness. "Why are you assuming the worst?"

"What else should I expect? I always thought Charles was a fucking idiot for losing you, but it turns out I'm the idiot. How ironic."

"You're not –"

Adam interrupted. "Just save it. I'm tired. I just spent the last couple of hours consoling my friend just to find out my own girlfriend doesn't trust me. I was wrong, you don't belong in the WWE, and you don't belong with me."

Tears sprang to her eyes. "Do you really believe that?"

"You're not even a fan… how could I possibly ever think that we could make it work?" He said angrily.

"I…" Her voice caught in her throat. "Okay."

She picked up her coat and put it on, careful not to start crying. She looked around for her scarf but tears blinded her vision. If she didn't leave now, she would start to cry in front of him, and she couldn't. Not after what he said.

She grasped the bar of her suitcase and rolled it to the door. Mari hesitated, hoping Adam would stop her; say something to her – anything… But he did not, so she mustered any pride she had left and walked out.

* * *

She didn't know where to go, so she just went to the airport. She stood in line mindlessly and waited for her turn to check in her bags. When the attendant finally called to her, Mari walked to the desk and showed her passport.

"Good morning." The woman said.

"Morning."

After an awkward five minutes, Mari had successfully checked in. She had no emotion; she could just walk blindly, not really seeing anything or anyone. She kept walking until she realized she was in a ladies' bathroom. She faced herself in the mirror but she did not recognize the look in her eye. She couldn't tell if her face was blank or crazed. She couldn't believe Adam broke up with her, not after everything with Charles, not after the last amazing months. She remembered the first time they had been alone: inside a Porter Airplane when they unluckily had been assigned seats next to one another. Even though they had hated each other, Adam has eased her discomfort by distracting her, and she had nearly fallen in love with him right there. Even if she had been stubborn for so long afterwards.

Her phone rang and she made a dash for it, scrambling to find it. She finally located it in her coat pocket and was disappointed it was not Adam. Sniffing, she picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Marilee, I have great news!"

"Kaden?" She whispered – her voice was threatening to break as emotion took over.

"He was bluffing." Kaden said. "Charles was fucking bluffing! He lost his job, his apartment… he was living in a motel. I found him coked up in a diner's bathroom and put the fear of God in him. The man never had any kind of tape; he just thought you would marry him since you could never see anything suffer for your mistakes. Apparently he used that logic due to the fact you turned yourself in at University when someone had cheated and the professor threatened to fail you all. Hilarious! Mari? You there?"

Silence.

"What?" Her voice cracked.

Kaden laughed. "Are you crying? I know! It's great news! You don't have to worry about anything. I think we should celebrate…"

Mari couldn't breathe. "Kaden, I've got to go, I'll call you later. Thank you!"

Then Mari wept. It had all been for nothing.


	38. The Royal Rumble

Two Weeks Later

"You're not going to regret this, Mari! I'm so happy you've made this decision, really, I can't tell you how much." Linda McMahon said.

Mari smiled weakly. She had e-mailed Linda a few days after her devastating end with Adam to make what seemed, the only healthy solution. She would resign her position with the WWE and return to her roots as a legal practitioner. Linda had offered her the chance to work on new projects that would benefit people and communities, the reason she had gone to Harvard in the first place; to be able to make a difference. "I'm excited for this opportunity."

"Oh, I'm so glad!" Linda said. "You let me handle my husband! After tonight that is. That man is impossible on pay-per-view nights."

"You're telling me." Mari muttered. Tonight was the Royal Rumble and one of Marianne's last shifts if Linda got her way. She expressed her wishes not to leave on any bad terms since she respected the company too much, but Linda waved her off.

"He's my husband; he won't be upset that you are going to continue doing what you are meant to. Let me talk to him, okay dear?" Linda kissed her cheek. "I better go find him before he ruins any more dreams tonight."

Vince McMahon was a powerhouse and so he needed to control everything, especially on a night as important as the Royal Rumble. He was demanding, self-righteous and incredibly hard-headed. But he was a good businessman and everyone knew it. On nights like tonight, he was just more on edge than usual.

She looked at the running order and grimaced when she saw Adam was up first with Nick. She had not spoken to him since their fight two weeks ago, and the few times they had been in the same vicinity they had kept their distance. This was another reason she could not continue working in the WWE: the sight of him was breaking her heart more and more every time.

She wanted so badly to call him and explain everything but even if he believed her now he had not even given her the benefit of the doubt that night, and she had no proof to back up her case, even if she tried. Charles was out of the picture, Kaden took care of that, and even if he was not there hadn't even been a real tape. Someone offered her a plate of fruit and she shook her head.

"No thanks."

Lately she had no appetite. Mari did not know if it was the stress, or the grief, but just the sight of food made her sick. She wasn't sleeping well which left her fatigued all the time. Her feet and back ached – Mari was simply exhausted both emotionally and physically.

Sofie Sinclair approached her and she mustered the strength to happily pretend she was fine. The brunette was beautiful, engaged to the love of her life and doing the job of her dreams – it was hard not to break down when your own wishes seemed so far and distant. At the corner of her eyes she spotted Adam chatting with Trent Barretta.

"Hey lady." Sofie said. "Ready for a crazy night?"

"Not really." Mari responded.

"What's wrong?"

Oh no, Mari was going to cry. No, not now… "Uhm."

Sofie must have noticed something wasn't right because she led her out of the Gorilla position without question and brought her into a private office. Mari sniffed but kept her composure.

"What's going on? Why haven't you and Adam spoken all night? Last time we were all together you guys could barely stop making googly eyes at one another."

Mari half laughed, half sobbed. "Googly eyes?"

"I'm worried about you. Did you guys have a fight?"

Mari nodded. "It's over. He misunderstood a situation but before I could explain – the damage was done. We can never be together."

"No, that can't be. He _loves_ you! You can fix this. Just go to him and explain everything. Randy and I almost ended everything once but we just needed to talk it out… You can't give up!"

"There's nothing more to talk about." Nausea hit her unexpectedly. "Sofie, I don't feel well."

"What is it?"

Before she could answer, Mari was on her knees and emptying her stomach in a garbage bin. Sofie rushed out and returned minutes later with Pete, the onsite medic. Mari shook her head. She did not want a big deal made out of this; it was just a little nausea. She remained seated as Pete asked her questions. Have you eaten today? Have you had any liquids? When he was comfortable it must be stress-related Sofie took over almost instantly.

"Well, that's just it. You're going home. No – no. You're of no use if you're vomiting on the Superstars. Don't laugh. I want you to go and get better. And keep me updated. I have a full team – Vince is here, Carla, Hunter and Stephanie, the board, Dunn, Calvin – we don't need you tonight. I just want you better, Mari"

It took convincing, but Mari agreed to leave the Boston arena. "Alright. Thanks, Sofie."

"Get to bed. I'll call you when the show is over and tell you how it goes. "

* * *

When the night finally ended and Adam had finished showering and changing, he headed backstage for the catering and celebration. He hoped to see Mari back there as he had not seen her since the beginning of the night, but so far no sign of her.

He congratulated Alberto whom had just won the forty-man Rumble and the two shook hands. Alberto looked so happy – it made him remember when he had just started out. But that was a long time ago.

He had messed up with Mari and it was eating at him, but he had no clue how to fix it. She was avoiding him and rightly so. He had spoken in anger and said things he absolutely did not mean and he knew she deserved an apology. He was still just so angry with her though – not for going behind his back and seeing Charles, which he knew he would forgive – he was upset she still had not tried to fix things with him. He had expected at least for her to try and at that point he would beg for her forgiveness but the spitfire was stubborn and proud. A lot like him, actually.

Damn it, he just wanted to fix things with her. The last two weeks had been awful and he missed her terribly. The previous night of their fight he had let Matt's break-up affect him so negatively and he lost all common-sense when he found out about Charles. He was worried he would lose her he instead threw her out. Surely he wasn't completely wrong now though keeping his ground – Mari hadn't even tried to contact him since, and for the life of him he couldn't figure out why.

He approached Barbie Blank, who he was scheduled to have a story line with for the next couple of Smackdown shows, to congratulate her on her part in the pay-per-view tonight when he noticed Mari's brother.

"Hey, Adam, great to see you man!" He shook his hand.

"Hey Kaden. Barbie. What are you doing here?"

Kaden gave him a grin. "Just trying to woo a certain lady."

Barbie blushed and gave Kaden a slight smack to the chest. "What a charmer."

Kaden continued, "Great match out there tonight."

"It was shit, I couldn't concentrate. Nick did all the work." Adam furrowed his eyebrow. "Have you seen your sister?"

"No, I imagined she would be out with you. You guys have a lot to celebrate after all!"

Adam was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Well after all that shit," Kaden glanced at Barbie, "Sorry for my language love. All the stuff with Charles was fixed up you two must have been relieved. Plus, tonight was a raging success."

"She told you about Charles?" What was Kaden talking about?

Kaden whispered something in Barbie's ear and she smiled at him. She walked away nodding once to Adam. Now that Adam and Kaden were alone, he pulled him into a more secluded corner.

"Yeah, when she called me crying and told me what happened, I almost fucking lost it."

Adam tensed. "Explain."

"You don't know?" Kaden asked carefully.

"Obviously not."

"Ah, Mari… don't blame her, I told her not to say anything until we resolved it, but she could have told you by now… The creep was threatening her with your career and Isaac's. Said he had a fucking tape of you two being… intimate. Fucking low-life scum. Mari was so sure she would ruin this company if the tape got leaked to the media that she called me. Turns out Charles had nothing; he was fucking with her the whole time."

"Wait, what?"

"You really don't know?"

Adam tightened his fists he was so furious. Furious at fucking Charles for putting Marianne into that position and at Kaden for telling her to keep quiet. Adam felt like punching someone in the face. "Start over. Tell me everything from the start."

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Keep an eye out for the final few chapters. Love to all!**

**L Boogie V**


	39. The Good Fight

There was a soft knock on her door accompanied by a woman's voice. "Room service, miss."

She forced herself to get up from bed and threw on her soft wool housecoat. "Coming!" She picked up a five dollar bill from her wallet and opened the door. A middle age woman faced her with a food cart and the smell for once did not turn her stomach.

"Here is your order, miss." The woman spoke in a soft Spanish accent. "Still hot."

"Amazing, thank you." She gave the woman the five-note as a tip and thanked her once again. She brought the food inside and locked the door behind her. The smell of buttered mashed potatoes and steak filled her nostrils and her stomach growled in acknowledgement. She ordered enough food to feed three people, but she did not care, she would be wolfing all this down and no one could stop her. Mari put down her dinner on the little table in her room to grab a glass of water when there was another knock. Assuming the older woman forgot something, she rushed to the door.

She opened it with a smile only to see Adam Copeland. Her smile vanished and she put all her strength into slamming the door in his face but unfortunately he was quicker. He cleverly stuck his foot between the door and the panel, using the leverage to come inside.

"Get out." She said.

Adam ignored her. "We have to talk."

"I said get…_out_."

He was wearing fitted denim jeans with a white polo and his leather jacket she loved so much. He looked so good while Mari was the epitome of disarray in an old bathrobe and slippers.

"Please Adam, leave."

"No."

Mari felt like screaming. "Just get out! You've already said enough! I get it; I'm not good enough for you, just get out!"

When Adam stood in front of her, Mari shrieked. "Am I not speaking English? There is the door…" She was so livid, she was barely even thinking. She wanted him to leave so she could cry in peace, why didn't he understand? When he refused to move, Mari exploded. She laid her palms flat on his chest and pushed him _hard_, but he barely budged. She used her fists to punch his chest, but he stood his ground. She was out of control, crying and hitting him at once until he finally grabbed her wrists to make her cease.

"Enough, Mari." She struggled to get out of his hard grip but he was like a stone wall.

"Let me go, you _jerk_!"

He clenched his jaw. "Not until you calm down."

"No! Get out, get out, GET OUT!" Angry tears were running down her face. "I HATE YOU! LEAVE _ME_ ALONE!"

Adam did the only thing he knew to do: he picked her up over his shoulders and threw her gently on the bed. He used his body weight to hold her down until she calmed herself. She was still crying as he saddled her, but the screaming had stopped.

"Listen to me, Mari. I know all about Charles."

She couldn't move but she refused to meet his gaze, turning her head to the side. "No you don't… you were wrong… so wrong."

"I know. Your brother told me everything tonight." Adam said softly.

Silence.

Adam continued. "When I met Nick that night to work out, I wasn't myself. I couldn't get any moves down, my leg was aching me – I was a mess. And it wasn't just that night. I haven't been the same guy in the ring for months now, maybe years. It dawned on me that my time was coming to an end, and that I'm getting old for the business – that terrified me. Then we ran into Matt – God, poor Matt – who was devastated about his recent break-up. I sat there listening for two hours about how this woman cheated on him…"

"I would never cheat on you." Mari whispered.

Adam cradled her head with his hands and kissed her temple. "I know, I know. He then told me about seeing you with Charles in head office and I lost it. I felt like everything around me was falling to pieces… I regret so much what I said to you that night. I'm going to regret it until the day I die. I know I can't take it back but I'm begging you for forgiveness."

"I'm going to throw up."

He finally noticed how pale she looked, and got off her. He watched her rush to the bathroom and the indistinct sound of regurgitation met his ears. He sat on the bed and waited. The water from the tap was turned on and he heard Mari brush her teeth. When she finally came out, her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Even when she was sad and a complete mess, Marianne took his breath away with her beauty. Her auburn hair fell in loose strands around face and she carried a tissue in her hand.

"Are you hungry?" She asked weakly.

He nodded. "Starving."

She pointed to the table where her delivery was patiently waiting to be consumed. They sat on the floor in silence for what felt like hours and slowly ate the hotel's finest food.

Mari spoke first. "I should have told you about Charles. I can't believe I let Kaden influence my good judgment. My every instinct told me to tell you the truth."

"No, he was right. I would have gone straight to Vince; I would have declared war and ultimately probably ruined myself because of it."

Mari shook her head. "No, you wouldn't have. We would have talked about it rationally."

"Maybe."

Silence.

"I'm quitting. I've decided to take Linda up on her offer to work on new projects since she lost her campaign."

Adam was crestfallen. "You can't leave."

"You were right, Adam. I didn't grow up being a fan; I'm hardly even qualified for the position. And it's exhausting."

"No, Mari, the second I said that I regretted it. I've never been more wrong. This company isn't about knowledge or skill; it has and always will be about heart. You've given everybody so much of it… we were so lucky to have you."

Tears pooled in her eyes. "Thank you."

Adam rested his head on the wall behind him. "My contract ends in a year. I don't think I will be renewing it." He leaned over her and wiped a tear from her eye. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Mari. I've been wanting to quit for a long time but I didn't want to be a quitter… Now it all seems to clear. I just want to be where you are. Wherever you want. I'm done with travelling and touring. I just want you."

"You can't give up wrestling. It's your life."

Adam shook his head. "You're my life. I love you, spitfire."

"I love you." She said quietly. "I'm sorry I said I hated you."

"We do have good fights, don't we?"

She let out a laugh. "We really do."

"All my life, I've never experienced joy the way I do with you." Adam kissed her gently.

"Not even in the ring?"

"The ring is a fickle mistress." He nuzzled her neck. "You are my true love. I loved you from the beginning. When Jericho left I was glad – I was jealous of your friendship with him. And then I had you on Smackdown all to myself. In New Zealand my dreams came true… it was always you."

"So what now?" She asked.

"Now, I take you to bed. Tomorrow, I let Vince know I will be retiring in a year and we find a place we love. We're going to buy a home… maybe I'll get myself a dog. What do you think about children?"

"I would like some." Mari said shyly.

"Our kid will look like Archie. Reddish blonde hair and freckles."

Mari swallowed. "Let's hope not."

"Marry me."

"We fight too much." She said with a smile.

"I imagine we'll fight until we're eighty. But nothing will ever change how much I care for you. Even if you had slept with Charles…"

Mari slapped his chest. "Ew, stop, I just got my appetite back."

He laughed. "Please marry me. Carla already said no."

At her outraged look, Adam laughed. She chased him to the bed where Adam tickled her until she yelled "Yes, yes, I'll marry you!" where they fell comfortably on the bed, legs entwined.

"Nothing matters anymore, except you." He said quietly.

She curled next to him. "Not even Carla?"

"No love, not ever her." Adam cursed. "Damn it, I owe Jay fifty dollars."

"How come?"

"When we were kids I told him I would never love anything more than wrestling… but I was so wrong."

Mari laughed. "And I'm so glad. I love you."

"How are you feeling?" Adam asked. "Still sick?"

Mari shook her head. 'No, but I think I'm pregnant."

Adam cursed again, taking Mari by surprise. "Damn it. A hundred dollars! I owe Jay fifty for everything I love more than wrestling and there is no doubt in my mind I'm going to love you and our child forever and unconditionally."

Mari laughed. "As long as we don't call our son Archie."

"Damn it! You win again, spitfire." With that Adam claimed her mouth and showed her exactly how much she meant to him.


	40. Winning It All

**-Last Chapter- **

"I swear if one more person asks me for a blanket, I'm going to freak!" Michelle complained. "Just because I'm a stewardess doesn't mean I'm here to serve every person on this plane."

Shelley who was on her third consecutive flight, rolled her eyes. There was always one flight attendant that thought she was above the job. They complained before their shift, they complained during the shift and then… they complained afterwards. To Shelley, flying with Porter was a great job. It was often short shifts – three hour flights at best – followed by a break and if you were lucky you'd get a few more the same day.

Today Shelley had four flights and she was already on the third, a flight from New York to Toronto, Canada.

Michelle continued. "I mean, do I look like a servant? If that man snaps his finger at me one more time I'm going to spill this coffee on him."

_Why don't you quit already?_ Shelley thought. She continued brewing coffee for the passengers as she prepared the snack tray. Michelle droned on how ignorant and uncouth the passengers were and for a second Shelley imagined what it would be like to open the emergency door and have the wind swoop Michelle out, where she would fall thousands of feet to her death. Splat.

Shelley grinned and continued working on the tray. "What's so funny?" a disgruntled Michelle asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about that couple in first class. Aren't they cute?"

"Which couple?" She whined. "The elderly couple? Old coots. I brought them tea earlier and they didn't even say thank you. They say young people have no respect but come on…"

Shelley drowned out her voice as she continued her hundredth rant of the day. She had not even meant the elderly couple, even though they were cute too. She was talking about the gloriously tall blond man with his scruffy beard looking at his wife with pure adoration. She would guess newly-weds, just because they had that look in their eyes of fresh and unbridled passion. The woman was practically glowing – her auburn hair fell just perfectly over her shoulders and her eyes sparkled when he whispered something in her ear. She felt a twinge of jealously but she brushed it off, instead Shelley basked in the loveliness of two people being so in love.

They looked familiar – but for the life of her she could not remember from where. This was going to bother her all day if she did not remember. She pushed the loaded tray up to first class and let the aroma of freshly brewed coffee calm her. When she approached them she smiled warmly.

"Coffee? Tea?"

The redhead jumped slightly when the Shelley approached. They had been in deep conversation, their heads drawn close together, sharing the same breath while looking at each other's eyes. She smiled at Shelley and patted her small belly. "Oh no…no coffee for me."

The blond man shook his head. "No, no… I'm definitely good for coffee."

"You would be." The woman said teasingly. She looked up at Shelley. "He won't eat or drink anything that I can't ever since we got pregnant."

"No, I just don't like coffee." He retorted.

She scoffed. "You also don't like beer?"

"I like beer just fine, spitfire."

As they bickered lightly a distant memory returned to Shelley as realization of where she knew them dawned. Shelley suddenly gasped startling them both. "I remember you!"

The couple exchanged glances. "You do?"

"About a year ago we met. We were flying to Toronto I think and I mistakenly assumed you two were a couple. I told you how cute you two looked together and you both lost it on each other."

The woman laughed as she vaguely recollected the event. "Yes… weren't we standing outside though?"

"We were waiting for the ferry on the docks. That was the first time Mari and I had been completely alone." He added. "God, that flight was awful! Not because of you, mind you…"

"Yes!"

"Wait, is that the only reason you recognize me?" He asked amused.

"I think so. Why are you someone famous?" The stewardess teased. "I'm Shelley by the way."

"Pleasure to meet you. Adam."

She shook hands with her. "Marianne."

"So you ended up together after all." Shelley said with one hand resting on her hip.

Adam smiled. "Yeah, well it took me a few months to really lay down the law, but in the end I was victorious."

Marianne raised her eyebrows. "Is that so?"

Adam shrugged. "You're here now, aren't you? Carrying my child?"

"Can you believe this guy?" Marianne said with a laugh. "I'll let your mother know exactly how you're treating me."

"She's delusional… don't listen to her, Shelley. Just the baby hormones talking."

Shelley laughed. "I'm so glad you guys are together. Not to toot my own horn but I'm never wrong about people. I knew you had something special."

""Thank you, Shelley." Adam said sincerely.

"I should get back to my job. It was really great seeing you guys again."

Shelley left the couple and resumed her task of pouring her passengers coffee and tea. She hid a secret smile as she thought of what it would be like to have that kind of bond with someone. A silly daydream took over her thoughts and soon the two were forgotten.

* * *

They were waiting outside for the ferry boat and Mari smiled as she recalled the last time they stood here together. It was as if time stood still and yet everything had changed. A dry wind sent shivers down her spine and Mari shuffled deeper onto Adam's chest. They stood on the empty dock and Adam's arms shielded her from the harsh winter's bite. She arched her head up, kissing the side of his neck.

"I love you."

He tightened his hold on her and rested his head on top of hers. "And I you."

"Did you ever imagine last time we were here that one day we'd be in love?" She murmured.

"I think I hoped for it." He said pensively. "I waited so long for you."

She breathed deeply. The wind had a particularly unique fragrance due to the mixture of the lake, the snow, and Adam's own scent – and it inebriated her – filling her with such a wonderful sense of tranquility. They stood in silence as they waited for the boat to draw closer and somewhere in the distance a fog bell began to sound. The meticulous clanging of the bell echoed in her ears and she leaned back to rest on his chest.

"For a long time I believed I didn't really belong – not with Charles…"

"Thank God." He interrupted.

"Not with Vince's company, but with you… it feels good just to be myself. Even when we bicker." She said playfully.

"I want you the way you are, Mari." He said. "Especially when you're wrong…" At her raised eyebrow he raised a hand in defeat. "Just kidding."

"I'm never wrong." She teased.

"You were wrong about me. Oh, and horses… didn't you call them evil beasts?" He brought her in closer and kissed the side of her temple.

"Hmm. Fair enough." She shrugged. "Can't win it all."

"But I think we did."


	41. Ely's Intro

"**E**ly! What are you doing? Are you crazy?" Petey's desperate voice whispered through large parking lot. "Where are you going, Ely?"

The seventeen-year old was panicking at his friend's behavior and was equally annoyed his pleas were being ignored. Petey had been co-coerced into sneaking out of the foster home they lived in by Ely and he wasn't surprised she was once again breaking her promise to behave. Ely was his best friend and the love of his life. Except she didn't know it yet. No matter how crazy her ideas were he would always give in to her and do what she wanted. Tonight was no exception as Ely had heard her favorite wrestling company was in town for a sold out show.

She had cornered him after supper and told him of her plans to sneak out and get into some 'rumble' show with the money she earned over the summer. Before he could deny her request, Ely hugged him excitedly and all the good sense was immediately knocked out of him. In the foster home there were seven kids and Ely was the oldest, beating him by two years. She was the only girl and at nineteen she was the most exciting and beautiful person he ever met. Even as a tomboy she had an air of femininity that he treasured, especially because she was so painfully oblivious to it.

"Be quiet, Petey, or they'll hear us." Ely spoke in a hushed tone from a few paces away. They were in the parking lot of the Boston TD Garden Arena and Ely wanted to get a closer look of the equipment trucks. He thought it was a stupid idea. When they realized they wouldn't be able to watch the show, Ely had figured there had to be a way to sneak in the building and was looking for a good way in.

"I don't get why we're even here, Ely!" He whispered back, nervous as hell.

"Dang it, Petey, I told you already. Wrestling is my dream." She grabbed his arm and steadied him. A cold breeze hit the parking lot and Petey stuffed his hands in his pockets. He watched her tuck a loose strand of hair under her cap. "I need to find a way into it. If I can just talk to someone in the company I know I can get a job. "

"But why do you need to work for this company? Why can't you live with me in Mrs. Clarence's home along with the other kids?" He sniffed. He hated when Ely threatened to leave. "I ain't a kid no more, Petey. Mr. and Mrs. Clarence are really kind but they can't afford to take care of me without the government funding, as hard as they try. I'm a legal adult now. You will be soon too; you can't depend on them forever."

Petey kicked a small rock with his bottom of his shoe. "I know. But maybe I can find a job and take care of the both of us. That way we can always be together."

"Dang Pete, you know I gotta figure some stuff on my own. Since my parents died all I've ever wanted was to prove myself worthy for 'em. I have to follow my dreams." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I know you're always going to be there for me."

He blushed. "You're my best friend, Ely."

"You too, Petey. Now come on, I want to see if we can sneak in through the back."

He followed her deeper into the private grounds of the arena and looked nervously around as they got closer to the trucks and trailers outside. "I don't think we should do this."

"Don't be a willy-nilly. Oh my God, Pete! It's John Cena's truck. Oh my God, I'm freaking out!" She squealed in excitement and Petey shook his head.

"Who the heck is this John Cena guy anyways? I never heard of 'im." He folded his arms over his chest to keep warm. He had been rushed out of the house and didn't even get the chance to get his lucky gloves _or_ hat for that matter. Ely – on the topic of clothes – never dressed with thought. She had faded jeans that fell loosely over her lower body and just rested over her hips thanks to his brown leather belt she borrowed. She was wearing an over-sized long sleeve navy shirt and a warm vest over it, the same vest that hid any traces of womanhood from her body. She looked like a scrawny teenager from the bad side of town. Ely carefully tucked her dirty blond hair under a cap which conveniently also hid her breath taking eyes. When she stared at him with those eyes – the color of a warm Caribbean emerald sea – he was awestruck and always experienced the urge to dip into them more so than anything else.

Her lips were round and perfect but no lip gloss ever adorned them, nor any make-up at all. Ely didn't want to be a 'girly girl', and she begrudged any woman that was - by referring to them as "dumb birds". She wanted the respect of any man and demanded to be treated as an equal. In school and in the neighborhood she was the girl that would whoop ass if someone even looked at her kids wrong. Her kids being the foster home kids. They were all orphans and all understood the loss of not having a real family, which (ironically) bonded them unconditionally.

Petey admitted, Ely was one tough sonofabitch. Nobody saw her as just a girl, except maybe Mrs. Clarence who would always give her womanly things like dresses and sweet smelling perfume. He shrugged. He didn't care none that Ely was different then the other girls, he respected her for it, even if she did get black eyes more often than not.

"Petey, come here…" He grudgingly walked over to where she was, in the mouth of a truck. "Help me open this, I want to look inside."

"Aw no way, what if someone sees? I don't want to go to no jail Ely!"

"Come on, just help me. Petey, I can hide in the truck and then travel with them from place to place." She said in wonder. "Just imagine, I can finally achieve my dream."

"Are you out of your doggone mind, Ely? You can't travel with them, they're famous!"

"Come on, Petey. I got all I need in this bag here." A look of determination crossed her face. "I left the rest of my stuff for you, including my leather jacket. You're the man in charge now."

Petey's jaw fell. "What! You planned this all along?" Petey's mind was scrambling to understand. "You tricked me into helping you so you could leave the foster home!"

"Pete, I'm nineteen. I'm not legally bound to the home; I don't even get no support money anymore. If I don't do this, I'm going to bleed the Clarence's dry. They love me but they can't afford it. I gotta do this."

"This is wrong." He said stubbornly. "You could get into trouble."

"I always get into trouble. This will be worth it. And when I'm making money I can support you, Pete. Give you everything you've ever wanted."

"But all I want is y-" He stopped, looking away with embarrassment. "Please Ely."

Her voice softened. "Pete, I'm too old for you. I know you think you like me but…"

"No…" He said stubbornly. "Don't. So what if I'm younger?"

"Pete you're not the one for me. You will always be my best friend, my brother… but I have to do this."

He sniffed. "Fine. There is never any arguing with you. But don't let me have to say 'I told you so.'"

She waved him off. "I won't. I _am_ going to get a job with them. Are you going to help me or not?"

"Yeah, I'll help you but you better keep in touch. And if it doesn't work you have to promise to come home."

She clapped her hands. "Thank you, thank you. I promise I will! Now come give me a hand."

Petey walked over to the truck and helped her as she attempted to open the back door. There was a thick rope which he assumed would open the door if they pulled hard enough. "Here, pull this." The door creaked and shuddered as they slowly parted it open.

"Shh… someone could hear."

"The door has to open!" Petey said frustrated.

"I know, Petey."

"There." He looked around nervously. "What now?"

"Now I go in and wait until they arrive at the next location."

"You're going to last there for a whole day?"

"Yeah, I got clothes, food, a flashlight and a book. What else do I need?"

Pete shook his head. "Sounds dangerous. What if they don't open the truck?"

"I'll yell until they do. It's Cena's truck, they will open it."

"What if they arrest you?"

Ely laughed in her care-free way causing Petey to frown. "Why would they do that? It will work out Petey, relax."

"I'm relaxed, I just worry about you."

A door closed in the close distance and a voice rang out. "Hello? Anybody there?"

"Shit." Ely muttered. "Go Petey, run!"

"Ely…"

"Go Petey! I'll be fine. I have to hide."

The same unfamiliar voice approached. "I can hear someone. Hello?"

"Ely!"

"Go!" She smiled at him warmly and walked deeper into the darkness of the truck. "Bye Petey."

"Bye Ely."

He wished Ely good luck. If anyone could get what they wanted it was her… he just wished he could do it with her. But he had an obligation to the other kids now, and the Clarence's.

"God be with you, Ely." He grabbed her mitten that fell on the floor and grasped it tightly. "I will miss you." With that, Petey ran. Ran past the trucks down to the outside of the Arena property, down to the main road, where he waited heartbroken for the bus home.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**For more check out my profile, I will be uploading this and the second chapter of Ely's story tonight. I hope you follow me into the third installement of the series. Thanks again FanFic world. **

**L Boogie V**


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